In the rapidly evolving landscape of autonomous driving, the capability to accurately predict future events and assess their implications is paramount for both safety and efficiency, critically aiding the decision-making process. World models have emerged as a transformative approach, enabling autonomous driving systems to synthesize and interpret vast amounts of sensor data, thereby predicting potential future scenarios and compensating for information gaps. This paper provides an initial review of the current state and prospective advancements of world models in autonomous driving, spanning their theoretical underpinnings, practical applications, and the ongoing research efforts aimed at overcoming existing limitations. Highlighting the significant role of world models in advancing autonomous driving technologies, this survey aspires to serve as a foundational reference for the research community, facilitating swift access to and comprehension of this burgeoning field, and inspiring continued innovation and exploration.

翻译：在自主驾驶快速发展的背景下，准确预测未来事件并评估其影响的能力对于安全性和效率至关重要，这能有效辅助决策过程。世界模型已成为一种变革性方法，使自主驾驶系统能够合成并解释大量传感器数据，从而预测潜在的未来场景并弥补信息空白。本文初步综述了世界模型在自主驾驶中的当前状态与未来进展，涵盖其理论基础、实际应用以及旨在克服现有局限性的持续研究工作。本综述强调世界模型在推动自主驾驶技术发展中的重要作用，旨在为研究界提供基础性参考，便于快速了解这一新兴领域，并激发持续创新与探索。