Google has revealed the first prototype of its futuristic driverless car. While it looks completely unchanged from earlier mockups, this particular vehicle is now fully functional although it does have a smaller casing for the equipment that is located on the roof of the car.
The company said that while the final version of the driverless car will not have an accelerator or brake pedals, or a steering wheel, of any sort, the current prototype will have those components. Reason being that Google is adhering to the guidelines of the Californian Department of Motor Vehicles while it tests the prototype. The final product will feature only two buttons: “Stop” and “Go”. Everything else will be controlled by the GPS navigation system and onboard sensors.
Google has also said that it plans to manufacture 100 prototype cars for testing. Though it goes without saying that the driverless car will be subjected to more changes, the prospect of finally having a driverless car operate on our roads is no doubt exciting. Realistically though, it’ll probably be a many more years before we see the driverless car being commercially available, and an even longer time before it is available on Malaysian shores.
