Google's Secret Driverless Cars Caught on Video
Yesterday, Google revealed that for months it's been testing a secret fleet of computer-driven cars by cruising them around California. Now, video has surfaced of these self-piloting Priuses.
Here's video of one of the cars—piloted by artificial intelligence software hooked up to laser and radar sensors—from Ben Tseitlin. TechCrunch says Tseitlin took the video last November while driving the 280 highway between San Francisco and Palo Alto:
Here's another video from tech blogger Robert Scoble:
It is a testament to Google's technology that in neither of these videos were the cars careening off the road. Google says the only accident during its months of testing was when one of the driverless cars was rear-ended by another, human-driven car. (A human is always in the driver's seat in case something goes wrong, and Google says it notified California police about its tests and they were fine with the idea.)
Clearly, the robot cars are trying to win our trust before they turn on us and start driving into the sides of Wal-Marts. [via TechCrunch]