Google's Self Driving Car Is Now A Reality

Google's quest for technological perfection is now extending to the road - literally. The Internet search giant plans to start producing its own self-driving cars in a bid to give the nascent industry a fillip.

Google's experiments with self-driving cars is nothing new. However, some of the recent technological advancements have made it possible for the company to now think about mass-producing this car. Read on to know all about it.

WHAT

Google has been building self-driving cars and testing them on US roads to check for its viability since the last few years. The car will have no controls, pedals or even a steering wheel but will still look like any other normal car to increase its acceptability on the road. The Google car looks a little bit like the Tata Nano and can only seat two people currently. It will have electric propulsion and its speed will be limited to 40kmph until the system is further improved upon. Perhaps the most radical thing in the Google car is the presence of a Stop/ Go button and nothing else.


HOW

With the help of GPS data, Google Maps and intelligent sensors on-board the car, the project aims to make driving safer for mankind. There are lasers that give a 360 degree view of the surroundings to the sensors. According to Chris Urmson, director of Google Self-Driving Cars, car crashes kill 1.2 million people across the world each year and 90 percent of this is caused by human error. Moreover, the car is intelligent enough to figure out parking and other niggles that every driver struggles with. The Google Car is trained to be respectful of traffic rules and maintains a safe distance from other cars. In short, it is meant to make our roads safer for us.


WHEN

Google has said it will build 100 prototypes of its vehicle. In a few months, Google engineers  will begin testing the first versions of the car and will open a pilot programme within the next couple of years if things go according to plan. Google might also partner with other brands in the future for the project. In a big win for the company, the US state of Nevada has already permitted autonomous cars and the project performed exceedingly well on California's notoriously treacherous roads.


dearJulius.com VERDICT

Google's latest project seems like something out of science fiction right now, especially for those of us outside the US. But given the company's ambition and drive into this project, it seems likely that our roads might not be the same again. Sure, it will take time and there will be skeptics but over time, technology will triumph over it all. If nothing, at least we will see whether humans can learn to drive safer than Google's laser and sensors combined.

You can learn more about the project here from Chris Urmson himself -

If you need to read more, do go through this exhaustive piece.

By Priyanko Sarkar