Waymo, a self-driving car company owned by Alphabet Inc., has made history by allowing its robotaxis to use highways for the first time. This move marks a significant milestone in the development of autonomous vehicles, as it enables them to travel longer distances at higher speeds.
The new service is being rolled out in several cities across the US, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. Waymo's robotaxis will be able to use limited portions of certain highways, with plans to expand to more areas in the future.
According to Waymo, the company has been working on this technology for years and has tested its vehicles on private courses and simulations to prepare them for highway driving. The cars have two onboard computers that create system redundancies, meaning they will have a backup computer if something goes wrong.
Waymo's CEO, Dmitri Dolgov, notes that freeway driving is easy to learn but hard to master, requiring vehicles to recognize and predict the behavior of other road users. However, he adds that safety emergencies on highways are relatively rare, so the team was able to collect sufficient data to train its vehicles to operate safely.
The new service will initially only be available to a select group of Waymo riders who opt-in to freeway driving within the app. However, over time, it is expected to be rolled out to all riders.
This move is significant not only for Waymo but also for the broader autonomous vehicle industry. It paves the way for other companies to follow suit and develop their own highway-capable self-driving cars.
The expansion of Waymo's services is also a testament to the company's commitment to safety and regulatory compliance. The company has been working closely with law enforcement and first responders to create procedures for vehicles and riders stranded on highway shoulders, where hundreds of Americans are killed every year.
Overall, Waymo's decision to allow its robotaxis to use highways marks an important milestone in the development of autonomous vehicles. It demonstrates the company's commitment to innovation and safety, and sets a precedent for other companies to follow.
The new service is being rolled out in several cities across the US, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. Waymo's robotaxis will be able to use limited portions of certain highways, with plans to expand to more areas in the future.
According to Waymo, the company has been working on this technology for years and has tested its vehicles on private courses and simulations to prepare them for highway driving. The cars have two onboard computers that create system redundancies, meaning they will have a backup computer if something goes wrong.
Waymo's CEO, Dmitri Dolgov, notes that freeway driving is easy to learn but hard to master, requiring vehicles to recognize and predict the behavior of other road users. However, he adds that safety emergencies on highways are relatively rare, so the team was able to collect sufficient data to train its vehicles to operate safely.
The new service will initially only be available to a select group of Waymo riders who opt-in to freeway driving within the app. However, over time, it is expected to be rolled out to all riders.
This move is significant not only for Waymo but also for the broader autonomous vehicle industry. It paves the way for other companies to follow suit and develop their own highway-capable self-driving cars.
The expansion of Waymo's services is also a testament to the company's commitment to safety and regulatory compliance. The company has been working closely with law enforcement and first responders to create procedures for vehicles and riders stranded on highway shoulders, where hundreds of Americans are killed every year.
Overall, Waymo's decision to allow its robotaxis to use highways marks an important milestone in the development of autonomous vehicles. It demonstrates the company's commitment to innovation and safety, and sets a precedent for other companies to follow.
... i mean, who would've thought that self-driving cars would be cruising on highways? it's all about the data, man... waymo's been collecting all this info from their simulations and private courses to train their vehicles for highway driving. but you know what's even more fascinating? how we're gonna deal with safety emergencies 
... it's not just about the tech, it's about the human factor. are we ready for these cars to take over on our roads?
... anyway, this is just the beginning... who knows what's next for self-driving cars?
I think this is a major step forward for self-driving cars... we're getting closer to having robots on the road that can handle high-speed traffic without human intervention! 
I think this is a huge deal! I mean, we've been hearing about self-driving cars for ages now, but it's actually happening! 
And I love how they're focusing on safety first, working closely with law enforcement and first responders to make sure everyone's good to go. 
It's also super exciting for the industry as a whole - it's gonna be interesting to see what other companies come out with next! 
! I've been following Waymo's progress for a while now, and it's awesome to see them take this huge leap forward. Allowing their robotaxis to hit the highways is a game-changer – it means they can travel longer distances at higher speeds, which will totally change the way we think about transportation.
. You gotta teach those computers (or should I say, robots?) to recognize and predict the behavior of other road users – that's some serious AI work right there.
. They're working with law enforcement and first responders to make sure things go smoothly when their vehicles get stuck on highway shoulders, which is a major concern given the number of accidents that happen there each year (I mean, hundreds of Americans getting hurt or killed every year is just heartbreaking).
. I'm low-key impressed, but also kinda worried about those emergency situations on the side of the road 
. Still, it's awesome that they're pushing the boundaries of AI and safety features to make this work 
i mean we've all been waiting for this moment for ages and it's crazy to think that they're already working on simulating highway driving and testing these cars in private courses 
hundreds of americans losing their lives just because we don't have self-driving cars yet. it's just not right and waymo is literally trying to fix this problem 
and i know it'll be a game changer for the broader autonomous vehicle industry 
waymo is all about being safe and compliant with regulations, and that's what sets them apart from the rest 