Self-driving car

A driverless car (also called autonomous car or self-driving car, i.e. self-operating) is a vehicle that can perform certain tasks on its own, without the help of a human driver. The car uses sensors to analyze its environment, and doesn't need a human's help for certain tasks. These tasks commoly include parking the car, driving while keeping the same lane on a highway or driving at a predefined speed. In public places, certain buses have been programmed to travel a given route. As of 2021, self-driving cars have been used in controlled envirnoments more and more. An example of this might be buses that transfer passengers between airport terminals.
Technology.
Typical sensors used by a self-driving vehicle include lidar, digital cameras, GPS and IMU.
High-definition maps can be used to accurately locate a self-driving car in a place, and to give information about parts of a road not seen by the car.
Ethical issues.
Even though it is technically possible to build cars that do certain things on their own, the question whether it should be done is different. Ethical questions include:
Legal issues.
Even though these vehicles can already do a lot on their own, the laws of most countries still require that a driver is present. In many cases, self-driving buses also need a special permit from the government.
If a motor vehicle produces an accident, there always is the question of who is responsible, to determine what damages need to be paid. This also applies to self-driving cars: A self-driving car is like a robot: Software is used for the driving. This software relies on a number of sensors to take decisions. Determining what went wrong in the case of an accident can be very difficult. This includes the question of who is legally responsible.