ITWire

BMW, Mercedes and more so Volvo have lately been dabbling with automated driving systems.  In the case of Volvo, utilising a lead car with a professional driver behind the wheel while and all other cars trailing directly behind, this cuts down on fuel usage and, in theory, boosts safety.

Google has also been involved in the idea of building an autonomous car, in a similar way to the aforementioned German car manufactures, using lasers, cameras and other sensors to judge roads and traffic in order to safely negotiate the chaos that can be the open road.

In the US Nevada has approved Google’s application for a license to test its driverless cars on Nevada’s roads today, a big step for the project and for autonomous cars overall.

The license will allow Google to drive these cars across the state under a few pre-set conditions: Two people, — one behind the steering wheel and one with the ability to control the car — must be in the vehicle at all times. Google must also retain a US$1 million insurance bond and make very clear where the car will be driven.

“Self-driving cars have the potential to significantly increase driving safety,” a Google spokesperson told VentureBeat at the time. “We applaud Nevada for building a thoughtful framework to enable safe, ongoing testing of the technology and to anticipate the needs and best interests of Nevada citizens who may own vehicles with self-driving capabilities one day.”

BMW, despite sticking to their “Sheer Driving Pleasure” slogan, is also ramping up its R&D into driverless technology.

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