Google has finally revealed its first, one of a kind "fully functional" prototype of its own self-driving car last Monday. Google has plans on testing the prototype in the Bay Area public roads early next year.
The elegant looking two-seater self-driving prototype however still need government approval before it can legally operate without a human driver though public roads and highways. This milestone however will open up all the possibility of a driver-less car that could soon be a ubiquitous feature in the Silicon Valley neighborhood or even in other parts of the world.
Ratna Amin, director of the San Francisco-based advocacy group SPUR said; "I can imagine these cars starting in closed, campus environments, or cordoned-off test areas with low-speed roads where the risk of collision, injury or death is much lower". The director accepts the possibility of driverless cars on public streets as long as state and local lawmakers will guarantee that the use of these cars will prove beneficial to the public. Amin added that "People like point-to-point transportation. They're going to seek if cycling, walking, transit or other modes don't meet their need"
Seven companies, along with Google, are now in rapid and continual development of the driverless car. These companies have already gained the approval of Department of Motor Vehicles to assess their own driverless cars on public roads. Google however come out on top of all these companies with 25 test vehicles and 107 permitted drivers. This numbers simply shows how much Google has invested compared to its rivals. Google is also the first company to unveil its own unique prototype. Other company's trying to get into the driverless car market just pick models of their own car and install it with their company's developed driverless software.
The seven companies vying to be on top of the driverless car market right now are the following: Volkwagen/Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Google, Delphi Automotive, Tesla Motors, Bosch and Nissan.
