Google robot car registered for road

The US state of Nevada has given Google a registration to trial its driverless cars among public traffic. The officials say that after driving demonstrations by Google, they are satisfied that the cars will be safe to let loost among human drivers.

Google, best known for its search products and mapping software, is trialling fully automatic cars, which can make their way through suburbs, motorways and day to day traffic without intervention from a driver.

Google says its plan is not to take control away from the driver, but to enhance the cars ability to avoid an accident. The cars are equipped with a sophisticated array of devices for monitoring the car’s current position, as well as those of fixed objects, like trees, and moving objects, such as cars or people.

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“Our automated cars use video cameras, radar sensors and a laser range finder to “see” other traffic, as well as detailed maps to navigate the road ahead,” Google says.

The team of developers included engineers who’d previously competed in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Grand Challenge, an event organized by the US Government that pits autonomous vehicles against each other on off-road courses.

Safety is the priority for the project, which Google believes could have significant impacts on the global road toll. Current estimates by the World Health Organisation put the figure at approximately 1.2 million deaths per year, which predictions it will rise as much as 40 per cent by 2030. “We believe our technology has the potential to cut that number, perhaps by as much as half.” Google says.