Speaking at a conference in Detroit, the chief of the software giant’s autonomous-car project, Chris Urmson, indicated widespread auto industry concern about regulation of self-driving cars is overblown. The onus, he said, is on developers of these vehicles to tackle safety challenges and work to boost public acceptance.
“We believe there are places in the U.S. where this is legal,” Mr. Urmson said, declining to elaborate further, such as how the cars are licensed
In addition to safety and public acceptance, Mr. Urmson said the expense of such vehicles is also an obstacle. The cluster of radars and lasers that sits above the car costs about $75,000 today, but that cost is likely to come down with higher production volumes.
Google has been knocking on doors among the more established auto industry players to find help making a driverless car on a larger scale. General Motors Co. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles are among the auto makers who say they have discussed the topic with Google.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.