A look under the hood of Waymo robotaxis

June 23, 2022
/ FAQs
/ By Alice Brown

Waymo is one of the leading companies in the development of autonomous vehicles, and they recently announced their plans to launch a robotaxi service. So far, the robotaxis have already been tested in several areas to optimize their abilities. However, many people are still curious about how these robotaxis work. This post will look under the hood of Waymo's robotaxis and see what makes them so special.

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The inception

The idea of robotaxis has been around for a while, but it is only now that the technology has progressed to the point of implementation. The Waymo robotaxis are a partnership between Waymo, a self-driving car company, and Geely, a Chinese automaker. The cars are designed in Sweden, where Geely owns Volvo. Waymo then fits the car with the necessary software and hardware for self-driving. Waymo builds its computers, software, and sensors. The company also produces its maps of buildings, roads, and parking lots without relying on Google Maps.

The features

The vehicle has 19 cameras, six radar sensors, four short-range lidar sensors, and a mid-range and long-range lidar sensor mounted on the roof. All the data that the sensors collect is fused together with map data and processed by a computer stack inside the van. The car's rear-seat entertainment system displays the route, a view of what the car sees around it on the outside, and a way to get in touch with Rider Services if you have any questions. It also displays how to start or end the trip, although this can also be done from the phone app. There is also a ceiling-mounted camera that can be used to check for lost items in between rides.

Since the robotaxis have their pedals and steering wheels, they are regarded as level 4 autonomous vehicles. The Society of Automotive Engineers has a six-point scale for defining autonomous cars, with level 0 being a vehicle with no aids whatsoever and level five being a car with no pedals, steering wheel, or manual human driver control.

Waymo has tried to appeal to different groups of people in their robotaxis services. They have child car seats in their minivans to appeal to families, and all their vehicles also have free Wi-Fi for all users.

The vehicles don't drive conservatively. They drive more human-like but with strict regard for the speed limit. The acceleration and steering inputs range from casual to aggressive. Braking is gradual and smooth, except when the car system thinks a cyclist or pedestrian is in the way.

So what sets Waymo apart from other autonomous vehicle developers?

The first thing that sets Waymo's cars apart is their sensors. The company uses a combination of LIDAR, radar, and cameras to give its vehicles a 360-degree view of the world around them. This allows the car to see obstacles that might be otherwise invisible, such as pedestrians crossing the street or cyclists riding in between lanes. In turn, the cars can make split-second decisions in complex traffic situations. Of course, this is all in the attempt to increase driver safety on the roads. Waymo accidents could be inevitable, and some attorneys are gearing up for them.

Software

Another key feature of Waymo's cars is their software. The company has been working on this for over ten years, and it is constantly being updated. The software is what allows the car to make decisions on its own, such as when to change lanes or turn at an intersection.

Another important factor is their use of machine learning. They have developed algorithms that allow their cars to learn from their experiences and become better drivers over time. This means that their cars are constantly getting better and will only get more so as they rack up more miles.

Emergency Braking System

Finally, Waymo's cars are also equipped with an emergency braking system that can bring the car to a stop if it detects an obstacle in its path. This is an important safety feature that will help to prevent accidents.

Final Thoughts

All of these features come together to make Waymo's cars some of the safest and most advanced autonomous vehicles on the road today. The future of robotaxis is looking very bright so far. With the advances in technology, it is only a matter of time before they are ubiquitous on our roads. In addition to being safer and more efficient than human drivers, they will also free up our time to do other things while we are commuting. We can't wait to see what Waymo will be able to do in the future as they continue to improve on the robotaxi features.