Vehicle Automation involves the use of
mechatronics and in particular,
artificial intelligence to assist in the control of the vehicle, thereby relieving responsibilities from the driver or making a responsibility more manageable. These features and the vehicles employing them may be labeled as intelligent or smart. Vehicles using automation for difficult tasks, especially navigation, may be referred to as semi-autonomous. A vehicle that relies completely on automation is by definition known as
robotic or
autonomous. As
automation technology has progressed, especially in the decades after the
invention of the
integrated circuit, more and more functions have been added to automobiles, relieving the
driver of much of the
mundane moment-to-moment decision making that may be regarded as having made driving careful.