Self-Driving Car: Google 'Pod' Vehicles Hit The Road In California

If you see some pod-like vehicles trotting around in Mountain View, Calif., do not be alarmed. They are not alien spaceships. They're just the latest prototype of Google's self-driving car, with the same adorable features that the company showed off in December, marking the first official cruise on the road.

"These prototype vehicles are designed from the ground up to be fully self-driving," a Google+ post published this afternoon stated. "They're ultimately designed to work without a steering wheel or pedals, but during this phase of our project we'll have safety drivers aboard with a removable steering wheel, accelerator pedal, and brake pedal that allow them to take over driving if needed."

The cars are capped at a speed of 25 mph, making them more at home in your neighborhood than the highway and they use the same system software that previously powered Lexus-made test vehicles with minimal incidents, according to Tech Crunch. They're designed to work sans steering wheel or brake pedal, even. However, during initial road runs, the vehicles will be equipped with all missing features.

A human will also be along for the ride to take control in case of emergencies, which was also the case with self-driving Lexus vehicles during the past six years, according to the Washington Post.

The company is asking Mountain View residents to provide feedback regarding their experience sharing the road with a Google car. If you're in the area and see one rollin' on by, share your thoughts, here.

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