Google introduces the completed version of its self-driving car prototype for the first time.
We first saw the weird-looking car back in May, but that was a non-working mock-up version without a steering wheel, accelerator or brakes. The difference now is that it is fully functional and has working components.
"Since [May], we've been working on different prototypes-of-prototypes, each designed to test different systems of a self-driving car. For example, the typical 'car' parts like steering and braking, as well as the 'self-driving' parts like the computer and sensors," said Google in a blog post.
"We've now put all those systems together in this fully functional vehicle, our first complete prototype for fully autonomous driving."
Google said that it will spend the holidays zipping around a test track for a while longer, using temporary manual controls while the engineers continue to test and learn.
As the project inches closer to reality, it has also emerged that Google is seeking partners for its self-driving car.
The The Wall Street Journal reported the firm hopes that auto industry partners will help bring the car to market within the next five years.
Google has said in the past that its self-driving car will be very basic. It uses 64 lasers that scan across 360 degrees, a camera, and GPS data to generate a map of its surroundings and drive safely.
Software models are built in to react to predictable and unpredictable scenarios.
"The vehicles will be very basic - we want to learn from them and adapt them as quickly as possible - but they will take you where you want to go at the push of a button," said Chris Urmson, director of Google's self-driving car project.
"And that's an important step toward improving road safety and transforming mobility for millions of people.
"We started with the most important thing: safety. They have sensors that remove blind spots, and they can detect objects out to a distance of more than two football fields in all directions, which is especially helpful on busy streets with lots of intersections. And we've capped the speed of these first vehicles at 25mph."
The cars will be fairly bland on the inside too. You get seatbelts, some leg room, a few buttons and a screen for displaying your route.
On Friday it was revealed that Google is planning to put the Android operating system directly into cars.
