Google Inc will begin testing self-driving cars of its own design on public roads this summer, but they will have steering wheels and brakes, which is not what the company described a year ago.
Engineers will operate 25 prototype vehicles, which use the same software as Googles self-driving Lexus RX450h sport utility vehicles that have been in operation for several years, the company said on Friday.
When the Internet search company announced a year ago that it planned to build a fleet of self-driving cars, project director Chris Urmson said the prototypes "wont have a steering wheel, accelerator pedal or brake pedal ... because they dont need them."
It turns out, however, that the prototypes will need those critical control devices after all because California requires that self-driving vehicles have manual controls during testing.
The company also said it would test new passenger and pedestrian protection technologies, including a foam front end and a flexible windshield. It also said the speed of the prototypes will be limited to 25 mph (40 kph) to "decrease the likelihood of severe injury" in a collision.