Gesture-based technologies will help in development of driverless cars

“A situation that necessitates the driver to take his eyes off the road while driving can be termed as a distraction. This includes accessing the car infotainment system. One way to minimise these distractions is by providing non-contact interaction between hard controls through the introduction of technology that converts gesture movements into electrical signals. As this does not require the driver to look for buttons, there will be no need to take his eyes off the road. […] It is much more robust to use gesture-based systems than to fiddle with mechanical switches. This system reduces the manufacturing cost, as the infra-red sensors are relatively cheaper than the mechanical switches. In addition, the life of IR sensors is more than the mechanical switches. Replacement of impaired IR sensors is also easier.”