The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has just this month (May 2012) granted Google permission to test its fleet of autonomous cars along roads in the state. The vehicles utilise radar sensors, artificial intelligence and GPS video cameras to allow the car to navigate through the streets as safely as possible.
To gain approved for road travel Google had to submit a complete description of its self-driving technology, a detailed safety plan and also purchase a surety bond of $1 million to put up to five vehicles on the road. In addition to the Prius Google also has a Lexus RX 450h and Audi TT outfitted with its technology.
Obviously aware of the well-documented crash involving a Google car (Ed: a human was apparently driving at the time...) the DMV noted that the project is 'still a work in progress' and stipulated that two people - a 'driver' and a software engineer - must be present in the vehicle at all times.
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