Chinese search engine giant, Baidu, has revealed a plan to develop self driving cars, similar to Google’s autonomous cars.
The car’s intelligent assistant will collect information from traffic situations and can operate without a driver under certain situations.
Google previously demonstrated its self driving car, which did not have a steering wheel, brake pedal or accelerator pedal, but according to Baidu’s deputy director, Kai Yu, his company’s car will have a steering wheel, allowing the driver to take control of the car at any given point.
Yu did not reveal much about the car’s technology but announced that the first prototype will be developed by 2015.
Yu told The Next Web: "Philosophically we have a fundamental difference to look at this type of things. I think in the future, a car should not totally replace the driver but should really give the driver freedom.
"Freedom means the car is intelligent enough to operate by itself, like a horse, and make decisions under different road situations.
"Whenever the driver wants to resume control, you can do that. It’s like riding on a horse, rather than just sitting in a car where you only have a button."
