When it comes to autonomous vehicles on city roads, that's been the approach in most of the world's countries. But on Tuesday, the UK announced it would put a cautious foot on the pedal, when the Department of Transport said it would accelerate plans to allow companies to operate self-driving cars on public roads in limited pilot programs starting spring of next year. The British government had initially planned to open up its roads for self-driving vehicles more than a year later, in the second half of 2027. "We can see what a massive economic opportunity this technology presents," Transport secretary Heidi Alexander tells WIRED in an interview. The department estimates the autonomous vehicle industry will create 38,000 jobs and generate 42 billion pounds ( 57 million US) for the country by 2035.

While Apple hasn't hid its self-driving car ambitions, until now, little has been known about the mysterious project. But now, computer scientists at the firm have posted a paper online, shedding light on how the self-driving cars could work. The paper reveals that Apple's self-driving cars can better spot cyclists and pedestrians using laser sensors, in a new software approach called'VoxelNet.' While Apple hasn't hid its self-driving car ambitions, until now, little has been known about the mysterious project. Self-driving cars often use a combination of normal two-dimensional cameras and depth-sensing'LiDAR' units to recognize the world around them.

Google is one step closer to making self-driving cars a reality. In this Dec. 13, 2016, file photo, Anthony Levandowski, head of Uber's self-driving program, speaks about their driverless car in San Francisco. SAN FRANCISCO -- Uber and Waymo's industry-critical battle over self-driving car technology now includes allegations of cover ups, clandestine meetings and big stock payouts. In arguments before U.S. District Judge William Alsup, attorneys for both parties laid out their case related to Waymo's request for a temporary injunction against Uber that would force the ride-hailing company to stop testing its autonomous cars. The day ended without a decision from Alsup.