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Google to Test Fully Self-Driving Cars in Austin

 & Stephanie Mlot Contributor

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Austin drivers should keep an eye out for Google's fully self-driving vehicles, set to hit city streets in the coming weeks.

Google has already been testing its self-driving Lexus SUVs in the Texas capital for a few months, but will now begin the first test of its tiny autonomous vehicles outside California—without a human behind the wheel—the Dallas Morning News reported.

Thus far, tests in Austin with the Lexus SUVs have had drivers behind the wheel, ready to take over. But Google is now ready to unleash a fully autonomous vehicle on Texas roads, the paper said.

Google's futuristic vehicles, however, may be no match for Austin's hipsters cyclists. Based on an account published on the ChainReactionCycles forum, a cyclist—riding a fixed-gear bike—reported an odd standoff with a self-driving Lexus.

Both were stopped at a four-way intersection. Google's car arrived first, so the cyclist (who goes by "Oxtox" online) "did a track-stand and waited for [the car] to continue on through."

The standstill technique—in which bicycle riders gently rock forward and backward to maintain balance while stopped—seemed to confuse the vehicle. Detecting the cyclist's presence, the Lexus remained stationary for several seconds; just as it was about to pull through the intersection, Oxtox rolled forward an inch.

"The car immediately stopped," the post said. "I continued to stand, it continued to stay stopped. Then as it began to move again, I had to rock the bike to maintain balance. It stopped abruptly."

The comical dance continued for another two minutes, during which the car never left the intersection. The two men inside, stationed there for safety's sake, were "laughing and punching stuff into a laptop," Oxtox said.

"The odd thing is that even [though] it was a bit of a CF [cluster-f**k], I felt safer dealing with a self-driving car than a human-operated one," the cyclist wrote.

"This is a good example of the feedback Google wants to get from the community as it refines its software and tests in areas outside Mountain View," Google said in a statement.

About Our Expert

Stephanie Mlot

Stephanie Mlot

Contributor

My Experience

  • B.A. in Journalism & Public Relations with minor in Communications Media from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP)
  • Reporter at The Frederick News-Post (2008-2012)
  • Reporter for PCMag and Geek.com (RIP) (2012-present)

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