Google unveils driverless car

Google has unveiled its first fully designed self-driving prototype, a two-seater vehicle that eliminates the steering wheel, accelerator, brake pedal, mirrors and glove compartment. The car is unable to travel faster than 25 mph, while software and sensors are designed to help the vehicle steer clear of accidents. Passengers simply input their destination and push a single button. "The project is about changing the world for people who are not well-served by transportation today," said Google co-founder
May 29, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
1691 Google has unveiled its first fully designed self-driving prototype, a two-seater vehicle that eliminates the steering wheel, accelerator, brake pedal, mirrors and glove compartment. The car is unable to travel faster than 25 mph, while software and sensors are designed to help the vehicle steer clear of accidents. Passengers simply input their destination and push a single button.

"The project is about changing the world for people who are not well-served by transportation today," said Google co-founder Sergey Brin.

If the car should malfunction, the car has two sets of steering and braking systems, so if one fails the other can take over.

The company plans to build about a hundred prototypes and Google’s safety drivers will start testing early versions with manual controls. If all goes well, Google plans to run a small pilot program in California in the next couple of years and if the technology develops, it will work with partners to bring the technology into the world.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Autonomous driving – what can we really expect?
    June 6, 2016
    Dave Marples of Technolution BV looks beyond the hype to the practical implementation of autonomous vehicles. Having looked at the development of this sector for some time, I am concerned about the current state of autonomous driving development as engineering (and marketing) have run way ahead of the wider systemic, and legislative, requirements to support an autonomous future.
    Read More
  • Changes needed to Italy's enforcement tendering?
    February 2, 2012
    Fixed penalty notices KRIA's co-founder and President Stefano Arrighetti discusses the events which led up to investigations into the fraudulent use of his company's T-RED red light enforcement system and his house arrest. Looking forward, he says, there needs to be fundamental reform of how Italy goes about the enforcement contract tendering process
    Read More
  • Cooperative infrastructure systems waiting for the go ahead
    February 3, 2012
    Despite much research and technological promise, progress towards cooperative infrastructure system deployment is still slow. Here, Robert Cone and John Miles take a considered look at how and when it might come about. From a systems engineering viewpoint it looks logical and inevitable that vehicles should be communicating between themselves and with the road infrastructure. But seen from a business viewpoint the case is not proven.
    Read More
  • Moia’s ride pooling concept plans to replace 1 million cars on roads
    December 6, 2017
    Moia, the mobility startup from Volkswagen Group, has introduced a fully electric six-seated car as part of its ride pooling concept that plans to replace 1 million cars and reduce congestion on major cities in Europe and the USA by 2025. The car, unveiled at TechCrunch in Berlin, will launch in Hamburg at the end of next year. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Volkswagen Osnabrück planned, developed and built the Moia car, which according to WLTP-standard has a range of more than 300km and can be charged
    Read More

Highlighted Content