Google Unveils Road-Ready Self-Driving Car

It may resemble a stunned koala, but according to web search giant Google this is what the car of the future could look like.

It's the company's first fully road-ready prototype of a completely autonomous car, and for the most part it looks almost identical to the mock-up that was revealed in May.

However unlike that mock-up, this prototype is the first to completely integrate all of Google's self-driving technology into the one seamless, bulbous package.

On the roof is a sleeker housing containing a 360-degree camera array, while proper headlights now sit either side of the radar "nose". There are also larger wing mirrors housing even more sensors and the mock-up's gumpy-looking 'mouth' has been smoothed over.

And while the mock-up's interior was devoid of conventional car "furniture" like a steering wheel or pedals, this prototype is legally required to have both in case an engineer needs to intervene manually while testing.

In a statement released on its Google+ page, Google says it will begin testing on closed tracks for now, with on-road testing on public streets to commence in early 2015.

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