Beyond cruise control

DRIVING fast along a road outside Turin, snow-capped mountains beckon in the far distance. A dog suddenly runs out into the road. A collision looks inevitable when the driver fails to respond. At the last moment, the car executes a smooth, mathematically precise swerve around the dog and then returns to its lane. Throughout the manoeuvre, the driver's hands do not touch the wheel. The Lancia Nea is no computer simulation, but a real, road-going vehicle—though, as a technology demonstrator, not something the public can buy. (The dog is a remote-controlled toy on wheels.)