Self-driving cars are now a reality.
Google on Monday revealed the first complete build of the fully autonomous vehicle it has been working on, a huge milestone in the company's self-driving car project. Google's first real prototype for fully autonomous driving looks similar to the early mock-up it showed off back in May, with the addition of working headlights and a slick, shiny body that looks something like a tiny Volkswagen Bug.
Over the past six months, Google said it has been working on different "prototypes of prototypes," each designed to test different systems the car will use. The process has involved testing not only typical car parts — like the steering wheel and braking system — but self-driving components like the computer and sensors as well, Google said.
Now, it's time for testing.
"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," the company wrote in a Google+ post.
Google said that its safety drivers will continue to oversee the vehicle for the time being, and will use temporary manual controls for future tests.
News of Google making its own self-driving car emerged last summer, when The Information's Amir Efrati reported that Google had talked with "contract manufacturers" to build a self-driving car. Efrati said Google failed to reach a deal with a major auto maker, so it pursued its own vehicle.
Google is not the only company pursuing self-driving cars, though. Car makers like Audi, Mercedes, Nissan, and Toyota have autonomous vehicles in the works. In addition, Freescale Semiconductor announced a multi-year collaboration with Neusoft and Green Hills Software to develop a platform that will usher in semi-autonomous vehicles as early as 2017 and pave the way for fully automated cars, trucks, and buses within the next decade.