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Google hires engineer behind the nifty Tesla Autopilot feature

The former engineering manager in charge of the Tesla Autopilot software has joined Google, it was revealed on Monday.

Robert Rose, who also worked at Elon Musk’s SpaceX for a number of years, is now onboard the good ship Mountain View as a ‘Software Engineer for Google Robotics,’ as reported by 9to5Google.

While the assumption is Rose will bring his unique expertise in the autonomous driving field to boost Google’s own driverless car projects, it’s possible he’ll be placed on one of the firm’s many other robotics projects.

Google has been on an immense spending spree in the field over the last few years, snapping up notable companies like Boston Dynamics.

The Tesla Autopilot technology, a big step towards the self-driving future, began rolling out to Model S models in October 2013 and has been getting progressively better since.

In a post on its official blog a year ago, Tesla explained: “Autopilot allows Model S to steer within a lane, change lanes with the simple tap of a turn signal, and manage speed by using active, traffic-aware cruise control.

“Digital control of motors, brakes, and steering helps avoid collisions from the front and sides, as well as preventing the car from wandering off the road. Your car can also scan for a parking space, alert you when one is available, and parallel park on command.”

See also: Tesla Model X: Six features that’ll make you want one

Rose left Tesla after seeing through the roll-out of version 7.0, which took place in October 2014.

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