In Mountain View, California, Google has demonstrated a prototype self-driving car with no steering wheel.
The vehicle can achieve speeds of just under 50km/hr.
Google hopes to have 100 of the cars being trialled on public roads by this time next year.
Benefits of a self-driving car include potentially increased safety and traffic flow; help for people who otherwise couldn't drive; and freedom from parking fees or the ability to share a vehicle (the idea is you drive to work, then your self-driving car sends itself home to your free garage, or for your partner to use during the day).
See more on the company's self-driving car project page.