Google Expands Self-Driving Car Tests to Arizona
Google Inc. will begin testing some of its self-driving cars in the greater Phoenix, Ariz., area later this year.
Google Inc. will begin testing some of its self-driving cars in the greater Phoenix, Ariz., area later this year.
Google is using four specially equipped Lexus RX450h crossover/SUVs to create high-definition maps of Phoenix streets that include such details as lane markers, traffic signals and curb heights. This type of detailed information is needed for autonomous vehicles to operate.
The company says it chose Arizona as a test site to evaluate how the various sensors needed for automated driving functions perform in extreme temperatures and dusty desert conditions.
With a fleet of 200 prototype autonomous vehicles, Google has accumulated more than 1.5 million miles of real-world testing. It has been conducting such tests near its headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., for nearly six years and recently expanded testing to Austin, Tex., and Kirkland, Wash.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Kroger Tests Self-Driving Grocery Delivery Service
The Kroger Co. and Silicon Valley startup Nuro launched a pilot program for autonomous grocery delivery this week in Scottsdale, Ariz.
-
FCA Opens the Door to The Future
FCA introduced a high-tech concept vehicle today, the Chrysler Portal, at the event previously known as the “Consumer Electronics Show,” now simply CES.
-
Toyota Employees to Aid Michigan V2X Research
Toyota Motor Corp. is encouraging employees at its research and development center near Ann Arbor, Mich., to participate in an on-going program there to test connected vehicle technologies.