More and more car manufacturers are buying into the autonomous vehicle craze - with European companies Volvo and Volkswagen the new players in the arena.
Both manufacturers have unveiled plans to introduce cars with a self-driving capability at this year's Geneva Auto Show - though Volvo have opted to delve into software, while Volkswagen brought out a fully autonomous concept car.
While the technology is still limited, the likes of Mobileye, Waymo and Elon Musk's Tesla are leading the way in the production of software that would allow cars to essentially drive themselves.
But Volvo's big announcement is that their autonomous vehicles will be able to sense the presence of other vehicles on the road, to the extent that it will physically swerve out of the way to prevent an accident.
The feature is designed to avoid oncoming cars - even if they're travelling in the wrong lane. Volvo says that's one of three new advanced driver assistance features aimed at increasing the safety of its vehicles, with steering support and an update to its blind spot-sensing system the other two.
Volvo New Zealand general manager Coby Duggan says the company's research into crash avoidance systems has the ability to reduce the chances of particular types of crashes by 45 percent.
Meanwhile, Volkswagen's latest concept is less pre-occupied with safety and more concerned with what people want from the car of the future.
That has culminated in the creation of a concept for a car they're calling Sedric - a vehicle that has no brake or acceleration pedals, no steering wheel and can arrive at your doorstep at the press of a button.
The car has drawn comparisons with Toyota's Concept-i vehicle unveiled in January, but its interior is quite different. Designed like the inside of a train carriage rather than a traditional car, Sedric brings greater scope for conversation as all the seats face one another.
The interior is sleek and modern, and the vehicle features a succulents garden on the dashboard and suicide doors, among other impressive components.
However Volkswagen has dampened suggestions it may be available for purchase soon, suggesting it's a model from which future Volkswagen designers will be able to borrow elements from.
Newshub.
