Google self driving car to hit roads this summer
The software powering Google's cars is called Google Chauffeur. Lettering on the side of each car identifies it as a "self-driving car". The project is currently being led by Google engineer Sebastian Thrun, former director of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and co-inventor of Google Street View.
"Now we’re announcing the next step for our project: this summer, a few of the prototype vehicles we’ve created will leave the test track and hit the familiar roads of Mountain View, Calif., with our safety drivers aboard.” Google stated on it's official blog.
These prototypes will be driven by the same software, which Google's self-driving Lexus RX450h sport utility vehicles (SUVs) have been using for long. This Lexus SUV fleet is being self-driven about 10,000 miles a week on public roads these days.
However, Google informed each prototype, which is capped at a neighborhood-friendly 25mph-speed, will have safety drivers aboard with a removable steering wheel, accelerator pedal, and brake pedal that allow them to take over driving if needed.
