Driverless Cars Will Cruise in NV

Google has received permission from the Nevada state Department of Motor Vehicles to begin testing a fleet of driverless cars on public streets.

Several autonomous cars have been outfitted by the team at Google: six Toyota Priuses, an Audi TT and a Lexus RX450h. All the driverless cars will receive red license plates, with an infinity symbol on the left of the plate.

“I felt using the infinity symbol was the best way to represent the car of the future," Bruce Breslow, the director of the Nevada DMV, said in a statement.

"The unique red plate will be easily recognized by the public and law enforcement and will be used only for licensed autonomous test vehicles."

Google's driveless cars were approved only after a special DMV delegation thoroughly reviewed the company's "safety plans, employee training, system functions and accident reporting mechanisms."

Each car bristles with a range of sensors and computer equipment, which can sense obstacles such as other cars, bicycles, and guardrails.

The system permits a human driver to take control by stepping on the brake or turning the wheel.

Google says it hopes to market the technology to auto manufacturers. It combines artificial intelligence software, a global positioning system and an array of sensors to navigate its way through traffic.

The DMV says other companies have indicated their desire to test and develop autonomous technology. “Google has a lot of competition,” Jacobs said.