Waymo, the self-driving arm of Google’s parent company Alphabet, has revealed the 6th generation of its self-driving technology, which promises to bring more resolution, range, and compute power to its autonomous vehicles. The upgraded technology includes smarter sensors that enable the cars to navigate better in extreme weather conditions such as heat, fog, rain, and hail. Waymo is currently testing the technology and plans to make it available to riders in the near future.
Waymo has been expanding its self-driving service in areas like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. Users can access the service through the Waymo One app, similar to other ride-hailing services like Uber or Lyft. Presently, the service is available to all public riders in parts of the San Francisco peninsula and metro Phoenix, and to select members of the public in Los Angeles. Waymo is also conducting testing in Austin and aims to open up to riders later this year.
The company’s 5th generation Waymo Driver currently conducts over 50,000 paid trips each week across San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, utilizing the all-electric Jaguar I-Pace. Waymo is also testing autonomous rides on freeways in the Phoenix area. The latest 6th generation Waymo Driver is being tested in an all-electric Zeekr vehicle, which offers more space, adjustable seats, and a removable steering wheel and pedals.
Despite the potential convenience of self-driving vehicles, there have been concerns about their safety. Waymo faced criticism earlier this year due to high-profile collisions involving its cars, including incidents with a biker in San Francisco and a towed pickup truck in Phoenix. However, Waymo has taken steps to address these issues by recalling and updating its software. According to the company, its autonomous Waymo Driver has demonstrated better crash avoidance capabilities compared to human drivers.
In response to safety concerns, Waymo’s vice president of engineering, Satish Jeyachandran, emphasized the advancements in the 6th-generation Waymo Driver’s sensor suite. With 13 cameras, 4 lidar, 6 radar, and an array of external audio receivers, the new sensor suite provides better performance at a reduced cost without compromising safety. The Waymo Driver has overlapping fields of view, allowing it to detect objects up to 500 meters away, day and night, and in various weather conditions.
Waymo ensures the safety of its self-driving technology through a rigorous regimen of structured tests, real-world driving, and simulation before making it available to the general public. The company’s previous generations of the Waymo Driver have already provided valuable data, reducing the amount of testing required for the latest iteration. As a result, Waymo expects to operate without a human driver in about half the time it previously estimated.
The 6th-generation Waymo Driver is currently being tested on public roads, and the company plans to share updates on its social platforms throughout the process. With a focus on safety and continuous improvement, Waymo is pushing the boundaries of autonomous driving technology, bringing us closer to a future where self-driving cars are a common sight on our roads.
