Video: Check Out Waymo's Self-Driving Cars in Action
After spending most of last week showing off its tech to the media, Waymo is launching its driverless pilot program in Arizona. While the rides won’t technically begin for a few months, you can already get a taste of the action via video footage of company’s trio of testbed Chrysler Pacificas.
It’s impressive to see the Pacificas not run down any pedestrians, especially since none of them seemed to notice being approached by a van without a driver.
During a keynote speech at a tech conference in Lisbon, Portugal, Waymo CEO John Krafcik showed video of the firm’s test vehicles operating on public roads without any human supervision. “This wasn’t just a one-time ride or a demo,” Krafcik told the crowd. “What you’re seeing now marks the start of a new phase for Waymo and the history of this technology.”
This is the first time the company has shown, or even discussed, its vehicles being tested without a person behind the wheel. Waymo says it has been staging these kinds of runs since mid-October. Meanwhile, mainstream manufacturers continue leaving a human plan B in the driver’s seat while testing on public roads.
While far less impressive to watch, it makes us feel a little more confident knowing there’s someone behind the wheel. But maybe we’re being big babies about this whole autonomous car thing.
According to Automotive News, Waymo successfully demoed its driverless Pacificas during an October press event, operating seven-minute rides at its private testing center in Atwater, California. The company also showcased its user interface technology, which includes a simple-to-understand row of buttons that allows passengers to start their ride, pull the car over, and call for help. The rear of the vehicle houses two screens that monitor the car’s route, current position, and 360-degree vision.
Waymo has also been providing rides to a handful of carefully selected residents in Chandler, Arizona. The plan is to expand the operating range of the driverless vehicles to an area of roughly 600 square miles and remove the safety drivers, leaving occupants to pick their noses and do whatever else shame would have once prevented.
“Since the beginning of this year, our early riders have been using our fleet — with a test driver at the wheel — to go to work, school, soccer practice and more,” he said “Soon, they’ll be able to make these trips in a fully self-driving car, with Waymo as their chauffeur.”
[Image: Waymo]
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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I could see the practical joke potential in self-driving cars: A wag could put a couple of bags of sand (assuming weight on a seat is necessary) or a blow-up doll in his buddy's car, and program it to go back to his house, or to a house of ill repute, or his ex-girlfriend's house. Friend finds his car missing, searches all day for it, deals with the end of the story, then plans his revenge.
That sure was not much of a test with such light traffic. I want to see this thing operate in city centre like congestion and then I will be impressed. Also a parallel park should be in there. That no way simulates real life driving in my town.