Looks like Google isn’t just interested in dominating the information super highway by having a tight grip on the internet and the mobile device market via their Android devices. They also want to rule actual concrete-and-asphalt roads by filling them with Google driverless cars running on a combination of existing sensor technology and several homegrown platforms.
The technology works by combining information from Google Street View and various sensors on the car with an AI (perhaps a more advanced form of the Android OS?) that sifts through all that information and navigates the car. Recent tests have been successful; Google driverless cars have been able to achieve 1,000 miles completely without human control and over 140,000 miles with minimal human intervention.
So how long before we actually see these on the road? Quite soon actually, especially with all the push Google has been giving to get legislative support.
According to Android Authority, Google driverless cars have successfully lobbied for legislative support in California through a bill sponsored by state Senator Alex Padilla:
“A bill to allow computer-controlled cars on Californian highways passed 37-0 in the Senate and 74-2 in the Assembly and is now awaiting action by Governor Jerry Brown.”
Google driverless cars have also won a similar victory in Nevada and Google is working to get the same results from other states as well:
“It spent $8.95 million on lobbying over various issues in the first six months of 2012, including driverless cars. This is clearly a technology that Google is determined to drive forward.”
Google driverless cars are really quite an amazing engineering achievement, one that brings us much closer to the kind of vehicles we see in sci-fi movies. More importantly, they could also have some real world applications that would make life lot easier for many different people.
Looking forward to seeing Google driverless cars in action? Share your thoughts in the comments below!