The "driving brain" of self-driving vehicles will replace human drivers in the future, making such brains an essential technology if China hopes to lead the curve in self-driving development, said Li Deyi, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Li made his remarks at a forum in Shanghai.

According to Li, Chinese researchers have to master the driving brain concept if they want to improve their self-driving technology. At present, many research teams abroad are focusing more on the improvement of intelligent vehicle radar and sensor accuracy, while Li's research emphasizes the learning skills of a vehicle's control system.

The driving brain concept refers to a set of chips integrated and built directly into vehicles. The chips contains knowledge of driving laws, emergency treatment programs and route selection principles. They helps vehicles learn to recognize road conditions, make decisions and drive in the most efficient, safest way possible.

"In the past, self-driving usually meant programmers teaching a robot to drive a vehicle through computer programs, requiring the vehicle to be a software-defined machine. However, a vehicle with a driving brain is able to 'learn' through driving. It will correct drivers' actions and learn lessons from accidents, thereby enhancing its own skills," said Li.

According to Li, driving brains will also create new development opportunities for Chinese enterprises in the self-driving auto industry. Vehicles equipped with driving brains will obtain driver's licenses and gradually replace human beings on the road.