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Matt Sayles/AP
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Google in talks with auto makers to bring its self-driving cars to market
Although it’s likely it will be another six years before such vehicles are released to the public.
GOOGLE IS CURRENTLY talking to auto makers about the possibility of bringing its self-driving-car technology to the public.
The project director Chris Urmson told The Wall Street Journal that the release of a self-driving-car is probably six years away, but said that it’s currently thinking about how it can bring it into market.
Part of that decision making process is deciding whether to create an operating system and software for car manufacturers, or if it will go it alone and design its own car.
Google’s project uses multiple sensors and map data in real time to help understand where it is and drive through streets and motorways without human intervention. It started in 2009 and was an early part of Google X, the company’s research lab for experimental, long-term initiatives.
The company released a video update of its self-driving car project after travelling more than 700,000 miles (1.2 million kilometres).
The video shows how the car is able to detect a cyclist giving hand signals, identify closed lanes and begin to merge into an open one, or see a vehicle parked on the shoulder and move out wider to avoid it.
The next step is to improve its performance in different weather conditions such as rain and snow.
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