As technology continues to change, one company is changing the ride experience, trying to give Uber and Lyft a run for their money! After years of testing, Waymo has developed a driver-assisted robotic taxi service, according to The Wall Street Journal, and has begun additional testing to serve drivers in the Bay Area. Google’s sister company has selected select San Francisco residents to use its application to get ridesharing and be transported in a luxury vehicle with the latest technology.
Waymo is partnered with Jaguar I-Pace, and what makes the vehicle unique is the latest in autonomous technology. If you’re not familiar with autonomous technology, let me give you an overview. According to Infosys, technology is about enriching automated systems with sensors, artificial intelligence (AI) and analytical skills to enable independent decisions based on the data collected.
Although the ride is considered a robotaxi service, there will be a physical driver in the car. The driver takes control when computer problems arise or when they fail to adapt to unpredictable scenarios such as navigating narrow, congested streets with multiple pedestrians and / or cyclists. All drivers who take part in the test are allowed to ride for free. However, you must sign a non-disclosure agreement and are not allowed to take guests on the rides.
Waymo is currently one of eight companies that received approval from the state of California in May this year to test autonomous vehicles without a physical driver behind the wheel. As the company continues to expand, a former manager’s business plan includes building a fleet of robotic taxis that could be deployed in roughly half of the top 10 ride-hailing cities in the world.
Roommate, if Robotaxi were available in your town, would you give it a try?
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