At intersections without traffic lights, people negotiate with glances. A self-driving car can't do that: it has to simultaneously decide whether to go or yield and plan its trajectory. Previously, these tasks were separated, making maneuvers jerky and dangerous.
Scientists have combined them using virtual force fields enveloping each car. Like magnets, the fields push cars apart, but their strength changes with time and distance. The car 'senses' these changes and intuitively chooses a smooth and safe path. Surprisingly, the fields create an indirect interaction — all participants move along shared force lines, like dancers anticipating partners' movements without words.
The method was tested in simulations: cars with cameras and lasers operating at the speed of light drove through the intersection without collisions. Fast computations allow the technology to be applied in real traffic.
Driverless cars have already traveled millions of kilometers in test mode, but unsignalized intersections remain one of the toughest challenges.
A scene from a sci-fi movie: cars move in sync, without jolts, as if controlled by a shared mind.