Google has revealed a prototype of its latest car - and this one doesn't even have a steering wheel or pedals, CNN reports. The car will only have a stop and go button. For the past four years, Google has been working on self-driving cars with a mechanism to return control of the steering wheel to the driver in case of emergency. But Google’s brightest minds now say they can’t make that handoff work anytime soon.
Their answer? Take the driver completely out of the driving. The vehicle looks a bit like the ultracompact Fiat 500 or the Mercedes-Benz Smart car if you take out the steering wheel, gas pedal, brake and gear shift. Unlike Google's previous self-driving vehicles, which have been based on conventional cars adapted to navigate around without a driver, this model has been designed from scratch. "They won't have a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, or brake pedal... because they don't need them," Google said in a statement. The car can carry two passengers and has a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour. Google says the car's most important feature is its safety. The driver has a button he or she can push to stop the car in case of emergency. "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," the company said. With its front designed to look like a friendly smiley face, the Google autonomous car is not just efficient and futuristic, but also cute to look at. Google said it planned to build around 100 prototypes, which it will start testing in a few months. The company started developing its self-driving cars in 2005, and is testing previous models across the US They are expected to be available to buy
by 2020. Google co-founder Sergey Brin said in an interview on Tuesday night the cars are part of Google's effort to reengineer transportation. "What I'm excited about is how we could change transportation today," Brin said. "If you look at people who are too old, too young, or disabled, and can't get around, that's a big challenge for them." "We took a look from the ground up of what a self-driving car would look like," Brin said at the Code conference. It's unclear if Google plans to manufacture the cars or if it will decide instead to supply the technology to carmakers. But Brin said he's hopeful regulators will agree that cars can operate safely without a driver. So far the cars have operated without incident, Brin said. The car would also be summoned with a smartphone application. It would pick up a passenger and automatically drive to a destination selected on a smartphone app without any human intervention. The vehicles will also have electronic sensors that can see about 600 feet in all directions. Despite that, they will have rearview mirrors because they are required by California’s vehicle code. The front of the car will be made from a foamlike material in case the computer fails and it hits a pedestrian. The new Google strategy for autonomous cars is a break from many competing vehicle projects, experts say. Mercedes, BMW and Volvo have introduced cars that have the ability to travel without driver intervention in limited circumstances — though none completely eliminate the driver. In the interview, Mr. Brin acknowledged those advances, but said they were incremental. "That stuff seems not entirely in keeping with our mission of being transformative," he said. The cars are intended for driving in urban and suburban settings, not on highways. The low speed will probably keep the cars out of more restrictive regulatory categories for vehicles, giving them more design flexibility. Google is having 100 cars built by a manufacturer in the Detroit area, which it declined to name. Nor would it say how much the prototype vehicles cost. They will have a range of about 100 miles, powered by an electric motor that is roughly equivalent to the one used by Fiat’s 500e. The current plan is to conduct pilot tests in California, starting with Google employees between buildings around its sprawling corporate campus there. Laws permit autonomous vehicles in California, Nevada and Florida. Brin said the change in Google’s car strategy did not mean that the company was giving up on its ultimate goal of transforming modern transportation. "Obviously it will take time, a long time, but I think it has a lot of potential," he said. "Self-driving cars have the potential to drive in trains much closer together and, in theory, in the future at much higher speeds. "There is nothing to say that once you demonstrate the safety, why can’t you go 100 miles per hour?" Olga Yazhgunovich, Source: Voice Of Russia
by 2020. Google co-founder Sergey Brin said in an interview on Tuesday night the cars are part of Google's effort to reengineer transportation. "What I'm excited about is how we could change transportation today," Brin said. "If you look at people who are too old, too young, or disabled, and can't get around, that's a big challenge for them." "We took a look from the ground up of what a self-driving car would look like," Brin said at the Code conference. It's unclear if Google plans to manufacture the cars or if it will decide instead to supply the technology to carmakers. But Brin said he's hopeful regulators will agree that cars can operate safely without a driver. So far the cars have operated without incident, Brin said. The car would also be summoned with a smartphone application. It would pick up a passenger and automatically drive to a destination selected on a smartphone app without any human intervention. The vehicles will also have electronic sensors that can see about 600 feet in all directions. Despite that, they will have rearview mirrors because they are required by California’s vehicle code. The front of the car will be made from a foamlike material in case the computer fails and it hits a pedestrian. The new Google strategy for autonomous cars is a break from many competing vehicle projects, experts say. Mercedes, BMW and Volvo have introduced cars that have the ability to travel without driver intervention in limited circumstances — though none completely eliminate the driver. In the interview, Mr. Brin acknowledged those advances, but said they were incremental. "That stuff seems not entirely in keeping with our mission of being transformative," he said. The cars are intended for driving in urban and suburban settings, not on highways. The low speed will probably keep the cars out of more restrictive regulatory categories for vehicles, giving them more design flexibility. Google is having 100 cars built by a manufacturer in the Detroit area, which it declined to name. Nor would it say how much the prototype vehicles cost. They will have a range of about 100 miles, powered by an electric motor that is roughly equivalent to the one used by Fiat’s 500e. The current plan is to conduct pilot tests in California, starting with Google employees between buildings around its sprawling corporate campus there. Laws permit autonomous vehicles in California, Nevada and Florida. Brin said the change in Google’s car strategy did not mean that the company was giving up on its ultimate goal of transforming modern transportation. "Obviously it will take time, a long time, but I think it has a lot of potential," he said. "Self-driving cars have the potential to drive in trains much closer together and, in theory, in the future at much higher speeds. "There is nothing to say that once you demonstrate the safety, why can’t you go 100 miles per hour?" Olga Yazhgunovich, Source: Voice Of Russia
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