Waymo is a California-based autonomous driving technology development company. It is a subsidiary of Alphabet, the parent company of Google. Google began its development of autonomous vehicle technology in 2009 at its X lab, which at the time was run by co-founder Sergey Brin.
The project was launched by Sebastian Thrun, the former director of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (SAIL) and Anthony Levandowski. In December 2016, the unit was renamed Waymo and spun-off into a new division in Alphabet.
Waymo now operates a commercial self-driving taxi service in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area. In October 2020, it expanded the service to the public. At the time, it was the only self-driving commercial service that operates without safety backup drivers in the vehicle.
Waymo also is developing its technology for use in other vehicles, including delivery vans and Class 8 tractor-trailers for delivery and logistics.
Recent News Items
This episode of the podcast is a recap of robotics solutions from MODEX 2024.
Waymo is now offering rides 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in a 63-square-mile area from Santa Monica to Downtown LA to select members of the public.
Electric Sheep is revolutionizing the commercial landscaping industry with autonomous mobile robots, leveraging AI and vertical integration.
The CPUC approved Waymo’s request to expand further its services in the Bay Area and Los Angeles.
The crash happened around 3 P.M., and the cyclist was able to leave the scene on their own, according to a statement from Waymo.
The DMV’s annual reports summarize when vehicles disengaged from autonomous mode during testing, based on the companies’ self-reported data.
The lawsuit could result in Waymo losing its final permit from the CPUC and in stricter regulations for robotaxis moving forward.
Waymo robotaxis have been allowed on highways but required a human safety driver in the front seat.
Waymo will be offering free rides to residents and visitors across different LA neighborhoods ahead of a wider service launch.
The vote allows Cruise and Waymo to charge for all rides, expand hourly operations and service area, and add as many robotaxis to their fleets as they want.