Definition and Evolution of Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous vehicles encompass a spectrum ranging from fully autonomous cars without steering wheels to new cars with advanced technologies like automatic braking. The podcast highlights the evolution of autonomous vehicles, noting the initial hype, transition to skepticism, and eventual progress toward practical deployment in specific markets. Dr. Richard Mudge emphasizes that while fully autonomous vehicles might take decades to be ubiquitous, current applications exist in industries like mining and local automated shuttles.