Google's researchers are planning a cross-country road trip across the United States that will allow the tech giant to get user feedback. The custom-built Google van's mobile research lab will help the company to get everyday people's opinions about the Alphabet subsidiary's products, new features, and services. Its 7-city trip will give around 500 walk-up volunteers a chance to share their opinions and get freebies including T-shirts and gift cards.     

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Google's first road trip will include cities in states such as California, Nevada, Colorado, Georgia, and North Carolina, according to PC World. It will take place from March 18 to April 22.

Besides stopping in various states the Google van will also stop in various types of locations including colleges, libraries, parks, and some Google regional offices.

The mobile research lab is a small version of Google's Silicon Valley laboratories where it performs most of its user research.

Participants inside the van will use their smartphones to test apps and other Google products in sessions that last 15 to 90 minutes. Meanwhile, Google researchers will observe and record how they use the digital products.

Some people might get a chance to test new products being developed by Google engineers. It will provide key feedback to help the California company to decide whether or not to release the products to the general public.

Google hopes that users who participate in the feedback program will help to shape the future. It is using a van with its colorful logo on it to get feedback from people outside its Silicon Valley headquarters.

If the road trip is successful the Google van will visit other US cities later this year, according to the Associated Press. It might even visit foreign countries.

Google customers who are not on the road trip's itinerary can still provide feedback to the user research team. That includes online and in-person methods to share their thoughts.

In related news Google's Chris Urmson recently explained the first at-fault accident of its self-driving cars. It involved a custom-built Lexus autonomous vehicle (AV) and a public bus.

After sensing some sandbags the AV stopped and waited for the lane beside it to clear. However, it then wrongly guessed the city bus would yield to the robotic car, which caused a minor accident.

Here's Google's top-secret research lab: