Earlier this month, US vehicle safety regulators said the artificial intelligence system piloting a self-driving Google car could be considered the driver under federal law. This came as a major step towards ultimately winning approval for autonomous vehicles on the roads.

Major automakers and technology companies such as Google and Ford are already racing to develop and sell vehicles that can drive themselves, at least part of the time, and Tesla’s Model S already has some autopilot features to assist drivers. But just how far will automakers take the new technology? Read on for some ‘wild’ self-driving vehicles—in the sense that they might come in any form and functionality, ranging from one that moves like a crab to another with a built-in bed.

Dominic Wilcox’s glass car prototype

British inventor Dominic Wilcox has created his vision of the future of transport for the exhibition ‘Dezeen and Mini Frontiers’ to be held later this year during the London Design Festival. The driverless glass car prototype has only a bed inside, where the passenger can sleep, while the car takes him to his destination. The car combines the handmade process of glasswork with modern and future technologies to create a proposal of how transport could be in the middle of the 21st century. Made from coloured panels of glass, the pod-like shape of the vehicle was created using a wooden frame made from arches formed using a computer. The glass was attached using a method known as the copper foil technique, which involves wrapping the edge of each piece in copper tape and soldering them together where they touch each other. Opening from the front, the entire stained glass dome pivots on a hinge at the rear. Inside, there are none of the usual controls of a car—instead Wilcox imagines it would be operated remotely by a computer in a similar fashion to Google’s driverless car.

Chevy FNR Concept

We don’t know exactly how autonomous cars will change the world, but the Chevy FNR Concept hints it’ll look a lot like Tron. Debuting at the 2015 Shanghai Auto Show, this electric self-driving car concept was developed in China by GM’s Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center.The rakish exterior design incorporates lighting in surfaces and moulded glass. You can access the passenger capsule through dragonfly wing-like dual swing doors.The interior is devoid of traditional vehicle controls. Instead, touch display panels wrap around the interior. Manual driving is accomplished through a gesture recognition system. Occupants sit on tensile frame seats, which can be configured all forward-facing or oriented in a group conversation position. The self-driving functions of the car are managed through a series of sensors and a roof-mounted radar system that maps the surrounding environment. The FNR incorporates the ‘personal assistant’ software to aid in determining the best route for passengers toa destination.

Nasa’s Modular Robotic Vehicle

Nasa engineers recently unveiled their ‘Modular Robotic Vehicle’ prototype, which boasts four independent wheels and a remote-control mode that allows it to essentially drive itself. While it is admittedly not the sleekest-looking vehicle on this planet, looking more akin to golf cart than other electric cars on the market, it has a slew of smart features that might inspire other car makers to get back to the drawing board.The vehicle has motors on each wheel, so they can move independently. Each of the four motors is

liquid-cooled and designed for ‘drifting’, a motorway sport involving letting a car slide on a turn. The vehicle also has remote control capabilities and dynamic driver feedback.

Mercedes-Benz F 015 Luxury in Motion

Unveiled last year at the Consumer Electronics Show, the Mercedes-Benz F 015 concept car looks like a model right out of Chappie or other such sci-fi flicks. Powered by a hybrid electric fuel cell with the range of 900 km and a battery with a range of about 200 km, the luxurious F 015 is uniquely designed with cameras, sensors and displays for monitoring the road. The interior sports four swiveling lounge chairs that serve as Mercedes’ ideal basis for impact-protected comfort. The self-driving car’s door concept makes getting in and out a cinch, while the seating allows passengers to have face-to-face conversation with relative ease.The F 015 isn’t merely a car, as it can also communicate with its surroundings both visually and acoustically. LED displays at the front and rear enable passengers to view the car’s laser projection system, while the acoustic communication repertoire includes both sounds and the ability to receive spoken instructions.