Google now building its own self-driving cars

Google has built its own version of a self-driving car, the company announced Tuesday, moving beyond its fleet of retrofitted Lexus and Honda vehicles by producing a rounded, almost cuddly-looking two-seater prototype that lacks a steering wheel and other controls. The car has been tested and is expected to be soon in regular use in the area surrounding Google’s Silicon Valley HQ. The prototypes have no steering wheel, brakes or other controls. They have seats for two passengers, a button to start and stop the vehicle and software that will move the car to different destinations without human intervention.

Google said the vehicles which have a self-park capability and are programmed for city driving won’t be able to travel more than 25 mph.
“It was inspiring to start with a blank sheet of paper and ask, ‘What should be different about this kind of vehicle?’” the company said in a blog post Tuesday night.

The giant Internet company says it has no immediate plans to sell the cars, but decided to contract with an unnamed manufacturer to build up to 100 prototypes of its own design, as the next step after testing a series of stock Honda and Lexus vehicles on highways and city streets.

Google has been working for five years on the idea of a car that uses sophisticated software, lasers and other sensors to navigate and drive itself. Co-founder Sergey Brin and other executives say the idea could drastically improve auto safety and provide new mobility for seniors, the handicapped and others who currently cannot drive.
“These are just for learning,” the company said of the prototypes.

“They will help us refine our technology and learn how people might want to use them — once you actually see a vehicle like this, you might start to think differently about how you’d want a vehicle in your life.”

Google has previously said it has talked with major car makers about its project but has never announced any formal partnerships. The company also has not ruled out the possibility of building and selling cars by itself.

The battery-powered vehicles also have safety features that include a flexible windscreen and foam-like material covering the front.— San Jose Mercury News