Driverless Car from Google. Fabulastic!

Search engine giant Google has managed to stun the world again. They have launched the prototype of their new car, a built-from-scratch autonomous vehicle, which has the tech world buzzing.The Google car is still in its testing phase, but even then the initial feedback is good. The design of the car looks like a child’s version of the Volkswagon Beetle.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/28/technology/googles-next-phase-in-driverless-cars-no-brakes-or-steering-wheel.html?_r=0

The company had, for several years, been testing everyday cars equipped with sensors, navigation equipment and computers to drive themselves but in the meantime it has developed a prototype from scratch that will have no facility for a human to take control, other than an emergency stop button.An initial 100 testbed versions would retain manual controls, Google said, as it unveiled the car on Tuesday. The controls are needed to comply with the law in California which along with Nevada and Florida allows autonomous vehicles but only if a driver can take charge.

To take the car for a drive, all the driver needs to do is push a start button. There is no steering wheel, accelerator or brake pedal present anywhere. There is nothing for the driver to do but sit in the vehicle as it drives itself.

Of course, the obvious question: whether the car is safe?  The cars have special sensors that remove blind spots and can spot objects as far away as 260 yards in both directions. Another safety feature ensures that the car does not go over 25 miles per hour when speeding. But, the downside of speed control means that while the car is safe, a road trip in it will not be possible.

As per Google spokespersons, the interiors of the cars are going to be very basic as the cars are being designed for learning, not luxury. It seats two and will have a space for passengers’ belongings, ‘start’ and ‘stop’ buttons and a screen mapping out the route. Google plans to roll out approximately 100 self-driving prototype vehicles in the coming months for its engineers and professional testers to drive. Google says if this year’s internal testing goes well, it will launch a small pilot program “in the next couple of years”, in the hope of working with partners to bring the technology into the world safely.