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Staff and visitors at Google's California campus were given a treat this week as the company took its driverless car prototype for a spin. 

The technology is still undergoing tests, and the firm hasn't announced when exactly the vehicles will become an addition to public roads because engineers are still ironing out a number of issues.

But, that hasn't stopped the project's director Chris Urmson and his team demonstrating its potential to fans in Mountain View. 

Staff and visitors at Google's California campus were given a treat this week as the company showed off its driverless car prototype (pictured). The technology is still undergoing tests, and the firm hasn't announced when the vehicles will become common place on our roads as engineers are still ironing out issues

Mr Urmson is also hopeful the cars will be roadworthy within the next five years. 

One of the features said to be delaying the car's release is its inability to cope in heavy rain or snow.

An insider told MIT Technology Review that the current prototype cars are very reliant on maps to navigate and can't react like a human driver, dodging potholes and other hazards. 

The latest official figures from Google revealed the cars have already driven themselves for more 700,000 miles (1,126,540km), but they struggle to cope in snowy conditions and can't negotiate heavy rain.

Mr Urmson said this is because the detection technology is not yet strong enough to separate certain objects from weather conditions.

While the cars' cameras can spot a traffic light changing, they can be confused by strong sunlight.

They don't distinguish between an empty plastic bag - which could be easily driven over - or a rock, so cars must drive around both. They also can't detect uncovered manholes or potholes.

Mr Urmson said: 'I could construct a construction zone that could befuddle the car.'

HOW DOES GOOGLE'S AUTONOMOUS CAR WORK? 

This graphic reveals how Google's prototype driverless car looks and works. The car makes turns and reacts to vehicles and pedestrians based on computer programs that predict what others might do, and data from sensors including radar and cameras that read, in real-time, what other objects are actually doing

The prototype two-seater cars have buttons to autonomously begin and end the drive.

The car makes turns and reacts to vehicles and pedestrians based on computer programs that predict what others might do, and data from sensors including radar and cameras that read, in real-time, what other objects are actually doing.

The route might be set by typing a destination into a map or using spoken commands according to Chris Urmson, the leader of Google's self-driving car team.

The car will be powered by electricity and could go about 100 miles (160 km) before charging.

Its shape suggests a rounded-out Volkswagen Beetle - something that might move people around a corporate campus or congested downtown - with headlights and sensors arrayed to resemble a friendly face.

The front of the vehicle has a soft foam-like material where a traditional bumper would be and a more flexible windscreen, in a bid to be safer for pedestrians.

In these prototypes speed is restricted to 25mph (40 km/h) and the ability to self-drive will depend on specifically designed Google road maps tested on the company's current fleet of vehicles.

Ultimately the vehicles will be faster and will be able to use Google's extended maps service. Driving works by using GPS technology to locate the vehicle's exact position on an electronic map.

A combination of radar, lasers and cameras sitting on top of the roof give the car a 360-degree 'view', with sensors linked to computer software able to 'see' and identify people, cars, road signs and markings and traffic lights.

The cars 'see' pedestrians as moving blocks of pixels and know to stop, but unlike a cautious human driver, they could not spot a traffic policeman at the side of the road, waving for traffic to stop - which could lead to trouble.

Despite the cars being allowed on public roads, they need to prepare to set off in more detail than a human driver, because a precise map must be created of exactly where to go – and a car cannot deviate from its route.

An area has to be mapped multiple times by a sensor vehicle to record details such as driveways, in order to make the cars' routes.

These details then need to be pored over metre-by metre by humans and computers, in a much more labour-intensive process than in needed to maker Google Maps.

One of the features said to be delaying the car's (pictured) release is its inability to cope in heavy rain or snow. An insider recently admitted that the current prototype cars are very reliant on maps to navigate and can't react like a human driver, dodging potholes and other hazards. They also struggle in poor weather conditions

The driverless car. Google shows off self-driving vehicle

Despite best efforts, routes can lack details such as temporary traffic lights that have been installed, or if there are road works or potholes to avoid, which the car might drive over.

In addition, maps have only been made for a few thousand miles of road, so in order for the cars to roam the US, Google would need to pour a vast amount of resources into mapping the rest of the vast country, down to the tiniest changing detail.

The company is working on ironing out all these problems. For example, if a Google car notes new lights and street signs, it sends a message to update the mapping software.

Google unveiled a compact version of its car without a steering wheel, but it will now have to re-introduce the wheel to comply with the California Department of Motor Vehicles' new regulations.

Despite all these set-backs, Mr Urmson said autonomous cars will 'happen more quickly than people think' – perhaps as soon as in five years' time.

Last month, Google was awarded 25 of the first 29 permits issued by the state of California to test driverless cars on public roads. 

Each permit costs $150 for the first vehicle, plus $50 for each additional vehicle, and each one must be insured for up to $5 million. 

Self-driving cars have been undergoing private tests for at least three years, but government legislation requires permits for them to be used on public roads.

The first licence for an autonomous vehicle was issued by Nevada in March 2012 to a Toyota Prius that Google modified to include its driverless technology.

Google tests its cars virually (pictured) as well as on real roads. Google's cars have driven themselves over 700,000 miles (1,126,540km) - but there is still a long way to go to hone the technology

MAILONLINE TAKES GOOGLE'S DRIVERLESS CAR FOR A SPIN

'My test takes place in a car park at Google's sprawling Mountain View campus – known as the Googleplex – in the heart of Silicon Valley, California. 

'My vehicle is 'summoned' via a mobile phone. Google's vision is that customers will share a driverless car which will be ordered via an app.

'The car will pick you up, take you where you want to go and then can go off and do errands like pick up your dry-cleaning, freeing you to do other things,' project director Christ Urmson said.

I step inside and sink into soft Hermes orange leather seats. It is surprisingly spacious, uncluttered by the normal 'car' things like pedals, a steering wheel and handbrake. 

'Instead there are two buttons – green for Go and red for Stop.

Caroline Graham, Mail On Sunday LA Correspondent, is shown in Google's driverless car at the tech giant's Mountain View campus during a test drive last month

There is an oblong flatscreen in front of me which shows the time, date, temperature and a computer-generated image of the road ahead. Beneath the high-tech screen is a storage bay for luggage.

'I hit the Go button and take off. The electric engine purrs into life, taking me to a top speed of 25mph (40km/h).

'The car skilfully navigates sharp turns and potential hazards of parked cars and pedestrians who wander in and out of the roadway.

'It 'senses' corners and slows down automatically before speeding up into a straight. The sensation is surreal. 

'Stationary vehicles and pedestrians show up on the screen as 'box' shapes. 

'At one point we accelerate down a straight when Mr Urmson suddenly steps out in front of the car… and it automatically slams on the breaks and comes to a controlled halt. 

'It's eerie, impressive and utterly captivating. 

'After a few minutes it all starts to feel normal. As the car drives itself I open a computer and answer email. 

I become oblivious to the outside world. I answer my phone and do some work. I feel perfectly safe. 

'Then I hit the Stop button and my journey into the future comes to a gentle halt.'

Caroline Graham, Mail On Sunday LA Correspondent