Self-Driving Cars Hit Austin Streets with Waymo-Uber Partnership

• Waymo and Uber have come up with a partnership that allows them to provide self-driving car rides in Austin, opening up the possibility of expansion to the newer market of Atlanta. 
• Waymo’s project has only part-time human observer vehicles that are maintained at Level 4 autonomy while providing driverless rides showing real-time navigation and human-free operation.

Waymo, an autonomous vehicle (AV) division of Alphabet, took a bold stride towards the future of transportation when it collaborated with Uber in bringing AVs to use services for the public. The launch, which first kicked off in Phoenix, has been further expanded to Austin, Texas, with the plan to expand to Atlanta. The partnership draws a new future for ride-hailing industries where soon, we could see the end of human driver rides.

The Ride Experience: Smooth and Futuristic

The ride in a Waymo self-driving car is like a scene out of a sci-fi movie. They primarily consist of Jaguar I-PACE electric vehicles, which are equipped with LiDAR sensors, cameras, and radar, enabling them to navigate around town without humans. They will drive on their own at Level 4 autonomy in particular pre-mapped areas.

The ride itself is said to be remarkably smooth. There is a provision for enabling autonomous rides in the app. After requesting an autonomous ride in the Uber app, one can summon a Waymo. In this way, the rider doesn’t know beforehand whether they will be matched with a Waymo vehicle or if they are even expecting one in the first place, as the process is similar to hailing an ordinary Uber ride. Upon arrival, the passenger taps on the Uber app to unlock the vehicle doors, which would otherwise remain flush with the vehicle until activated.

Upon stepping inside, the setting and decor look both familiar and futuristic, with leather seats and a central console for starting a ride, making stops, or choosing the types of music to play. The absence of a driver naturally adds the initial edge of discomfort, but the precision and safety features of the Waymo car will make it safe to be a rider.

Safety and Technology at The Forefront

Waymo has incorporated diversified safety measures within its automated vehicles. The 3D LiDAR sensors spinning atop their cars shoot laser light in order to detect local 3D surroundings. Thus, the detection software in the cars can provide favoured solutions against pedestrian, cyclist and traffic-light awareness. In one advanced driving software iteration already in use, Waymo’s auto could travel a circumference of 37 miles around downtown Austin but does not traverse the highways or go anywhere near airport runways.

On the trip, there is a display of waypoints on an OLED screen intercut by live images of the vehicle and its environment, allowing passengers to communicate with the cars on the journey. Waymo has gone as far as mimicking very human driving tendencies like decelerating for speed bumps, signalling for turns, and keeping a safe distance—all of which are executed flawlessly, and all the while, providing an incredibly smooth ride at 35 mph.

Availability and Prices

Waymo’s self-driving cars can be booked with UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort, and Uber Comfort Electric. The pricing is the same as that for regular Uber rides, except here, there is no need for a tip. Right now, the service can be accessed outside of Austin via an Uber app, while in places like San Francisco, Phoenix, LA, and a few others, you can just log in to the Waymo One app to easily book a ride for these.

Waymo versus Cruise and Tesla: Ramping Up The AV Race

Waymo, with its Level 4 autonomous technology, is distinct from Tesla for being one of the few companies on the market that has achieved this level of autonomy. The difference between the two companies is that where Tesla goes up to level 2, in which humans are still very involved in the automation process, Waomo’s cars are automated and do not require any human intrusion. The wild card for Tesla, however, is the company’s neglect of LiDAR, with CEO Elon Musk recently knocking out the technology from its purpose and undecidedly buying some LiDAR sensors, pointing to a strategic shift. 

On the other hand, Cruise from GM, another heavyweight company, earlier claimed that they had achieved Level 4 autonomy. However, they have had high-profile incidents wherein Cruise has had to temporarily suspend their operations even after General Motors had pumped in some $10 billion into the project. On the other hand, Waymo, with an $11 billion bank of ammunition, out of which Alphabet has singly pledged $5 billion, seems to have positioned itself above the rest in the AV marketplace.

The Road Ahead: New Dimensions of Transportation

Teaming up to field autonomous cars in the field of ride-hailing is going to be a major turning point, or even directional change, in the field of ride-hailing. Autonomous cars have gained traction in the public discourse, and now they are perceived to be the future of urban mobility by greatly facilitating safe, efficient and driverless transport. This partnership is a milestone waiting to be put away in history, albeit one among many others waiting to take autonomous vehicles and literally change or qualify the future of commuting unknowingly.