Waymo launches sixth generation autonomous taxis
According to Waymo, the sixth generation of its ‘Waymo Driver’ is about improving efficiency and safety, or as the company puts it, it “serves as the primary engine for our next era of expansion, with a streamlined configuration that drives down costs while maintaining our uncompromising safety standards.” Training the platform took the company about 200 million miles of road, across ten major cities. This testing remains a major advantage compared to other robotaxi operators, such as Tesla, which struggles.
Another notable aspect is that it was designed for multiple vehicle platforms, and is capable of handling more diverse environments, “including those with extreme winter weather, at an even greater scale.” The camera system has apparently been improved to a level, where “it operates with a level of awareness no person can match.” This is due to it being able to see around the vehicle, as well as interpret data from deep shadows while being hit with bright lights.
Technically speaking, the system operates centres around a next-gen 17 megapixel imager, which “captures millions of data points for incredibly sharp images while offering exceptional thermal stability across automotive conditions.” This then allows the company to cut down on the number of cameras, streamlining the process a bit. Integrated cleaning systems also help with adverse weather conditions.
An additional Lidar system is also used to generated a 3D image of the car’s surroundings, which works for both greater distances, as well as to provide redundant coverage for the cameras, allowing the system to make more informed decisions. An audio system named ‘EAR’ (External Audio Receivers) also allows the vehicle to listen for approaching emergency vehicles or railroad crossings.
In addition to rolling out a new generation of autonomous driving technology, there are rumours that Hyundai Motor is looking to supply Waymo with 50,000 Ioniq 5 autonomous vehicles by 2028. This was reported by Gasgoo, according to people familiar with the matter. As the Chinese Automotive news site reports, with a price tag of around $50,000 per vehicle, this deal could be worth $2.5 billion.
The report further asserts that Hyundai is in a bit of a tight spot in terms of finances, and needs the profit boost. This is marked by a 40 per cent year-on-year slump for the fourth quarter of last year, coupled with slowing growth in key markets. This deal, aside from providing a major revenue boost, would also provide a testing ground for the Ioniq 5 and serve as a market validation technique.
This deal has been on the books since Hyundai opened up its factory in the USA last year, although no specifics were announced at the time. It was only announced that the company had “entered into a multi-year partnership with Waymo in the US to integrate the Georgia-built Ioniq 5 into Waymo’s autonomous driving fleet.”
Waymo has been on an impressive growth trajectory lately, which is further boosted by a $16 billion investment at the beginning of the month. There have been growing concerns regarding safety, including an accident in which a Waymo hit a child, however, the vehicle was able to brake in time, preventing worse injuries. Competitor Tesla, meanwhile, is still stuck with remote operators in their vehicles, as its robotaxi system is not regarded as sufficiently safe yet. Waymo’s expansion continues unabated.
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