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Google’s autonomous cars are close to “graduating” from the company’s secretive X lab, where the tech giant’s more futuristic ideas are worked on.
According to the head of X labs, Astro Teller, the vehicles are close to leaving the experiment phase and becoming a fully fledged business.
In what form that would be is still unknown – Google has designed and built its own cars to run the technology but it could also decide to sell the technology housed within them to third-party manufacturers.
It is also likely to be some time before the cars are legal in enough areas around the world to be a fully viable business opportunity for the technology giant.
Instead, it’s thought the first real-world application could be as a taxi fleet on private campuses – either business or university – a set area where fewer restrictions apply.
Google is said to be in advanced talks with Fiat Chrysler over a partnership involving the technology.
Self-driving technology is becoming an increasingly populated market – Tesla and Uber are both actively working on the technology, while Audi, BMW and Mercedes have all explored concepts in the field too.
Elsewhere in Google’s X lab there’s also Project Loon – the weather balloon project that involves using the aircraft to carry internet signals to remote parts of the world. Project Wing is looking into delivery drones, while smart contact lenses are also being explored.
