Waymo announced that it has begun testing its robotaxis in Atlanta, following its expanding testing and deployment locations across the country.
The self-driving company has planned to gradually deploy manually driven cars by humans to map the city and familiarize the cars with the environment.
(Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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Waymo Starts Mapping Atlanta for Robotaxi Operations
In an X post, Waymo revealed that the company is finally launching its Waymo Driver program in Atlanta. The program was first introduced by the company as a cross-country training program for its robotaxis.
Winter in Buffalo ❄️🦬, Spring in DC 🌸🏛️, and summer in Atlanta ☀️🍑!
— Waymo (@Waymo) April 16, 2024
We’re taking the #WaymoDriver to the ATL as we continue evaluating how our system generalizes to different environments and new experiences. Read about our cross-country training program:… pic.twitter.com/ORNxAbjJ3A
"We're laser-focused on scaling our fully autonomous Waymo One ride-hailing service in the cities where we operate, as we continue safely and responsibly advancing our autonomous technology through road trips to various cities around the U.S.," said Sandy Karp, Waymo's spokesperson.
The company will start to deploy vehicles on a limited and closed-to-public testing fleet. Human specialists will drive the vehicles manually to help the system gather data about its new surroundings.
Waymo has yet to announce the operational date for its robotaxis. Currently, the company is aiming to test its vehicles in Atlant without a safety driver in the front seat.
Waymo Driver Gathers Data for Robotaxis
Once the program has familiarized itself on the land, the company can decide to start testing them on an autonomous drive. The specialist will provide feedback to the engineering teams based on their driving experience and if there are nuances that should be taken care of.
"Driving in dozens of different cities over the years has helped inform the design and capabilities of our sensing technology, improve the Waymo Driver's performance in the cities we already operate, and safely bring our technology to new places," the company explained.
The company is looking forward to expanding its fully autonomous ride-hailing service beyond San Francisco, Metro Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Austin. Waymo also shared that testing will begin soon in Buffalo and DC.
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