Google is now pushing its futuristic Lexus SUVs in Austin, Texas, aiming to do some more testing for its autonomous vehicle technology.
The company's driverless Lexus cars are already roaming the streets of Austin, and Google has now officially confirmed plans to test the vehicles in the area. Austin, Texas, is the latest testing location for the self-driving cars, becoming the first non-Mountain View city to welcome the technology on its streets.
Google plans to test its software in the different driving environments in the city, taking into account road conditions, traffic patterns and the likes.
"We've chosen Austin, Texas, as a new testing location for our project, and one of our Lexus SUVs is there now, with safety drivers aboard, driving a few square miles north and northeast of downtown Austin," Google noted in a new post on its self-driving car project page on Google+.
For those who are unfamiliar with the project, Google's autonomous vehicles require two drivers to be in the car as well, for safety reasons. This way, if anything goes wrong with the software, the drivers are ready to take over and make sure the self-driving Lexus SUV poses no serious threats.
Before starting these new tests in Austin, Google obtained permission from the Texas Department of Transportation, Texas governor Gregg Abbott, as well as other authorities, including the police.
The self-driving cars from Google started hitting the streets of Austin back in June, without any prior announcement, taking locals by surprise. Google's new announcement now officially confirms the company's plans to test the driverless vehicles in Austin, Texas, but doesn't mention how long the tests will last.
Autonomous vehicle technology is still controversial for now, with the public generally divided in two sides. While some praise the technology and are eager to see the self-driving vehicles roaming the streets, others have safety-related concerns and doubt the software's capability to properly handle traffic. Google's cars have already been involved in several accidents so far (not in Austin), but the company said all of those cases were minor incidents in which the driverless cars were not to blame.
Self-driving vehicles hold great potential nonetheless, and extensive testing is paramount for advancing the technology.
