The Google Car project was recently seen entering a new phase of development. Now, Google has reached even closer to its goal of creating a self-driving car for the road that eliminates the need for people to drive and says it plans to build 100 prototypes.
The company showed off a prototype earlier in the week that comes without a steering wheel, brakes, or an accelerator pedal.
The idea behind this Volkswagen Bug-like vehicle is to simply let users pick a destination on the map (preferably Google Maps) and have the car do all the work to get there. There is no need for the mechanisms current cars are known for, such as the previously-mentioned brake and pedal, and the speed of these test versions is capped at 25 mph.
"They won't have a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, or brake pedal ... because they don't need them," Google says on its blog. "Our software and sensors do all the work. The vehicles will be very basic -- we want to learn from them and adapt them as quickly as possible -- but they will take you where you want to go at the push of a button."
Imagine being able to go out and not need a designated driver after a night of drinking and partying. Or, imagine not even having to get a license to drive a car because it does all the driving for you. This is Google's dream: to reach the masses with such self-driving vehicles and eliminate current traffic problems and the problems associated with human errors while driving.
Even though this was just a sci-fi dream until recently, such cars might someday change the landscape of freeways and parking lots. The cars will park themselves and find available spots automatically. Senior citizens will not have to worry about losing their reflexes and thus not being able to drive because they will be transported via these cars. Google is already in the prototype development phases of the project.
While it may worry many current drivers who swear by their reflexes and own hand-eye coordination, Google kept safety precautions primarily in mind when developing these vehicles. They come with all sorts of technologies and sensors that eliminate blind spots and aspects of driving that rely on human judgment and error.
"We started with the most important thing: safety. They have sensors that remove blind spots, and they can detect objects out to a distance of more than two football fields in all directions, which is especially helpful on busy streets with lots of intersections," Google says on its blog.
It is interesting how the prototype vehicle is small and compact because this is exactly the type of vehicle that will find parking easily and can get around busy metro streets with ease. It also makes sense for Google to not be too flamboyant with it due to all the expensive technology within the vehicles that makes them work without a driver present. Despite its small stature, the prototype has a lot of flair and style going for it.
Google plans to build around 100 prototype vehicles overall. Some prototype versions will be tested later this summer by safety drivers with manual controls to see how they work both in a driverless fashion and through the use of human hands. If everything works well, Google expects to begin a pilot program in California.
