How big would self sufficient system be?

How does Google test the software behind the self-driving car at the system level?

• More specifically, how does testing this software at the system level differ from Google's standard products and processes? Is real-world data collected from previous drives used in testing? Does the test suite include data collected from instances where the car made a mistake while driving? Has Google developed a real-world driving simulator and virtual car to further evaluate the self-driving car software system?

• Answer:

  The car is being developed at Google X, so details on the process are pretty much locked down. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_X But there was a recent article in the New Yorker interviewing the designers and discussing their process for their test drives. From that you might be able to infer some answers to your question about system testing. http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/11/25/131125fa_fact_bilger This is the most access that anyone has had and the writer spent a lot of time covering both the state of testing and the careers of two of the main designers, Anthony Levandowski (who drives the author around for a test drive) and Sebastian Thrun.