A bystander admires the SeaGlide autonomous robot in the maritime demonstration tank.

Converting everyday ground vehicles into robots is a promising avenue of research. Strap-on kits do more than make heavy machinery into radio-control toys—they also replace human operators' brains and senses with autonomous controls. That way the machines coordinate to get the job done without colliding with one another or with any people on-site. They do not whistle or leer at women in the streets, either.