Google unveiled what it says its its “first real build” of its self-driving vehicle prototype. Back in May, Google showed off an early mockup that eliminated the steering wheel and gas/brake pedals.
But that didn’t even have real headlights. Now, Google has a fully-functioning version of this car (pictured).
“Since then, we’ve been working on different prototypes-of-prototypes, each designed to test different systems of a self-driving car—for example, the typical ‘car’ parts like steering and braking, as well as the ‘self-driving’ parts like the computer and sensors,” Google says in a Google+ post. “We’ve now put all those systems together in this fully functional vehicle—our first complete prototype for fully autonomous driving.”
“We’re going to be spending the holidays zipping around our test track, and we hope to see you on the streets of Northern California in the new year,” Google adds. “Our safety drivers will continue to oversee the vehicle for a while longer, using temporary manual controls as needed while we continue to test and learn.”
Hold on to your butts.
Image via Google+
