A Texas Department of Transportation conference wouldn鈥檛 normally attract much attention. But invite a robot car to your meeting, and everything changes.
Google and its were on hand at the today. The car 鈥� which relies on technology like radar and cameras to pilot itself 鈥� was the star of a panel on transportation and technology this morning.
State law would have to change before self-driving cars are legal to use on Texas roads. Google project manager Anthony Levandowski downplayed the legal challenges to the technology. Instead, demonstrating 鈥渢he reliability and safety of the system鈥� is the biggest challenge Google faces in the adoption of its driverless technology. There鈥檚 鈥渁 good amount of time,鈥� Levandowski said, 鈥渇rom now until the technology鈥檚 ready.鈥�
Other innovations were also on display this morning. A mobile app, , allows motorists to pay tolls remotely and truck drivers to bypass weigh stations. Utah-based is pioneering the use of wireless power charging 鈥� using magnetic pads in roadways and driveways to magnetically transfer electric power to vehicles. Charging allows anywhere from 鈥�50 kilowatts up to 200 kilowatts [to transfer] over a 10 inch air gap,鈥� according to WAVE CEO Wes Smith.
Still, Google drove off with the audience鈥檚 attention, even if the tight-lipped tech company remained mum about their Texas plans. The Dallas Morning News confirms , noting it briefly ferried some Texas Department of Transportation officials through downtown. (Word is Texas Senate president David Dewhurst is .)
鈥淚鈥檝e been in it before 鈥� it鈥檚 pretty impressive,鈥� said Scott Belcher, President and CEO of the . He moderated this morning鈥檚 panel. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great that Google鈥檚 out there pushing the edge of the envelope.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檝e seen incremental change over the last twenty years and now, it seems, that technology is kind of mature,鈥� Belcher said. 鈥淪o you鈥檙e seeing technology that is disruptive and that鈥檚 changing the way that we do business.鈥�
Below, a video demo of Google鈥檚 driverless car in action.
