Is Google's New Self-Driving Car The Way To Go In The Future?
Lemuel Cacho | | May 28, 2014 01:27 PM EDT |
Google recently unveiled a new self-driving car on Tuesday making it the first company to develop a car that has no accelerator, brake pedal and steering wheel.
According to reports, the new car sets the next stage for the self-driving car project of the company.
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The concept started during the Darpa Grand Challenges for robot-powered vehicles in the beginning of the year 2000. For its part, Google began its own in 2008.
Since then, Google made dramatic changes and improvements. It first tinkered with the Toyota Prius followed by customizing Lexus SUVs.
Google took the cruise control cameras - the car's existing sensors - and added what looks like a modified antenna that works as a spinning laser scanner on the car's roof.
The new car, the Guardian reports, is the first of its kind - a 'truly' self-driving car prototype designed to test what it can do on the road and for future cars.
At first glance, it could be mistaken for a Smart car because of its size, feel and look. For the uninitiated, it might also be mistaken for a Nissan Micra.
The new Google car has two seats and has enough room at the back to accommodate a small amount of luggage.
Because of its size, the new car can only carry two front passengers, but it does not need any human interaction.
It has no steering wheel and there is no way passengers can manually operate the car. Instead, it can be controlled using a smartphone in which, with few commands like destination settings, can pick passengers up.
Passengers only need to be familiar with the car's start and emergency buttons. You cannot miss the emergency button because it is big enough and in bright red. It gives passengers information about the weather and current speed via a small screen.
The car was designed from the bottom-up. Google started the sensors up to the car's entire shell. Google will have at least 100 car prototypes manufactured by a firm based in Detroit, but it did not mention which company it is.
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