Self driving car goes on test drive at Oxford

A car that is able to drive itself on familiar routes has been given a test run at an event at Oxford University.

The technology uses lasers and small cameras to memorise regular journeys like the commute or the school run.

The engineers and researchers behind the project are aiming to produce a low-cost system that "takes the strain" off drivers, the BBC reported.

Other companies, such as Google, have also been testing driverless vehicle technology.

The search giant has pushed for law changes in California to allow its car to be tried out in real-life situations.

The Oxford RobotCar UK project is seeking to do the same in the UK, Prof Paul Newman from Oxford University's department of engineering science said.

"We're working with the Department of Transport to get some miles on the road in the UK," Prof Newman, who is working alongside machine learning specialist Dr Ingmar Posner said.

Until the car can hit the streets, the team is testing it out in a specially-made environment at Begbroke Science Park in Oxfordshire.

The technology allows the car to "take over" when driving on routes it has already travelled.

When it goes on the same journey again, an iPad built into the dashboard gives a prompt to the driver - offering to let the computer "take the wheel."

At the moment, the complete system costs around 5,000 pounds - but Prof Newman hopes that future models will bring the price of the technology down to as low as 100 pounds.