DW: Robot Maseratis and I can't even get my radio to keep its presets!
A special version of the Maserati MC20 just reached 197.7 mph on a racetrack in Texas, setting a record for the fastest speed by a self-driving vehicle. This car used advanced sensors and software from a company called Politecnico di Milano, which worked with the Indy Autonomous Challenge. The race took place on a straight track at the Kennedy Space Center, where the car drove all by itself with no driver at all. The team’s goal was to show how far self-driving technology has come, especially when it comes to speed and safety.
They wanted to prove that autonomous vehicles can handle extreme conditions just like race cars with drivers. The tech used in this Maserati could eventually help improve self-driving systems in everyday cars. Just to be clear, this is the record for a self-driving vehicle, but the robots have some work to do to catch up with humans, as the overall land speed record of 763 mph was set by Royal Air Force pilot and verified human Andy Green in 1997.
Source: PopSci
