14 Things You Should Know About Driverless Cars

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12. A Google Car Includes More than $200,000 of Equipment

The current Google Car prototype includes more than $200,000 USD of equipment. The car features a range finder on the roof of the car that uses a Velodyne 64-beam laser. Google expects to use the laser on future models of the vehicle. The laser is used to create a 3D map of the vehicles surrounding environment that helps prepare various types of information used by the auto’s navigation system to drive. The laser allows the vehicle to see out to a range of several hundred meters and is the core of the self-driving engine for the automobile. The company expects the overall cost of the auto to decrease as the autos gain market share in the auto industry throughout the United States.