Ford will begin testing a fully autonomous version of its Fusion Hybrid on California streets in 2016, becoming the latest major automaker to put driverless car technology to the test on real roads.
The tests are expected to take place near its research and development center in Palo Alto.
The prototype autonomous Ford Fusion is distinctive for the four LIDAR sensors mounted on its roof.
The sensors have lasers with rotating mirrors inside that allow them to perform an all-round scan of the area.
Most prototype autonomous cars use the same scanners and match the images with a database of prerecorded images to determine where the car is at any given moment.