Google unveiled its first complete prototype car for fully autonomous driving, shortly after reports suggest it's building a version of Android specifically for cars.

Dan Jones, Mobile Editor

December 22, 2014

1 Min Read
Google Has Self-Driving Prototype Ready

Google Monday afternoon unveiled its first complete prototype car for fully autonomous driving.

The Google Self-Driving Car Project posted this about the new prototype on Google+:

  • The vehicle we unveiled in May was an early mockup -- it didn't even have real headlights! 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. We've now put all those systems together in this fully functional vehicle -- our first complete prototype for fully autonomous driving.

Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) says that it will test the prototype further at its track over the holidays. The search giant is hoping to get it out on the roads of Northern California next year. It still plans to have test drivers in the vehicle as it drives around.

For all the insight into where service providers fit in the IoT, register to attend Light Reading's Carrier IoT: Making Money From Machines event in Atlanta on February 10, 2015.

Here's some footage from Google of an older version of the car navigating city streets:

About the Author(s)

Dan Jones

Mobile Editor

Dan is to hats what Will.I.Am is to ridiculous eyewear. Fedora, trilby, tam-o-shanter -- all have graced the Jones pate during his career as the go-to purveyor of mobile essentials.

But hey, Dan is so much more than 4G maps and state-of-the-art headgear. Before joining the Light Reading team in 2002 he was an award-winning cult hit on Broadway (with four 'Toni' awards, two 'Emma' gongs and a 'Brian' to his name) with his one-man show, "Dan Sings the Show Tunes."

His perfectly crafted blogs, falling under the "Jonestown" banner, have been compared to the works of Chekhov. But only by Dan.

He lives in Brooklyn with cats.

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