Google gave auto-mation a new meaning last month, when they unveiled the world’s first self-propelling car.
The car navigates traffic using intel supplied by video cameras, radar sensors and laser rangefinders which direct the mechanical processes to automate the driving experience. According to Google the cars have already travelled more than 225,000 kilometers highlighting the advanced technology’s capability to interact with Googles detailed maps.
Routes are pre-determined by the software which process data sent from external and internal devices to not only navigate but manage speed also. Cars can also be programmed to react with traffic according to your personal driving style be that passive or aggressive.
In an interview with the New York Times Google acknowledged one accident involving a self-propelled car that was hit by a driver-powered car after it did not move on a red light. The landmark project is a proactive initiative to increase driver safety and help cut last years worldwide toll of 1.2 million deaths due to traffic accidents.
The man behind the self-propelled cars, is 43-year-old software professor “Sebastian Thrun” from Google, he expects the self-propelled cars will be able to take away half of the number of accidents in traffic because the propelled cars (with their 360 degree viewing angle) are able to get more information and take better decisions than humans in the traffic.
Whilst, the cars can be spotted on the streets they are still in the experimental phase and wont be made available to consumers for sometime yet.
