Fighting over Steering Wheel...

Self driving cars, once the exclusive domain of science fiction, are now reality. Google has been working on Self Driving Car Project and tested many prototypes with modified Lexus SUVs and prototype vehicles that are designed from the ground up to be fully self driving.

Google's Self Driving Car Prototype

While Google is all set-up for launching its driverless car technology in market, California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) proposed draft of new rules for autonomous vehicle, which left Google and other staunch supporters of this technology "perplexed". Along with regulation call for safety and performance standards, the rules also call for a licensed human driver, capable of taking over the wheel and pedals in the event of an emergency. That could be problem for Google, whose driverless cars don't use pedals or steering wheels.

Company said, Google wants to transform transportation through its work to develop vehicles that can shuttle people from place to place with the push of button and reduce accidents caused by human errors; Safety is top priority and motivator in Google's driverless cars. In direct response to DMV's proposed regulation, Google executive and robotic-car expert Chris Urmson wrote a blog post Thursday on Medium.com blasting the rules as a step back from progressive 2012 state regulation that allowed for the development of occupant as passenger vehicles without a steering wheel or pedals.

According to some of the Technical Analytics, the rules shouldn't be problem. There are not millions of them on road. And as technology is in prototype stage, additional changes can be made to have steering wheel and pedals again. Also, the other automotive companies like Ford are showing interest in Google's Self Driving Cars, technology will have huge development and popularity in future.

California might be looking at the broader aspect of autonomous cars, beyond just Google and has gone more conservative with requiring an operator. But it is disappointing for technical society that, legislators are limiting the potential of fully Autonomous System. Removing "Driverless" from Driverless cars and doubting the capability to achieve its goal can be slight hold-up for development of Autonomous Technology.