Waymo
Waymo Robotaxi autonomously stuck into a construction site
A Waymo driverless taxi has driven automatically into a construction site in Chandler, Arizona shows a video posted on social media site X, formerly known as Twitter. It reveals how the Robotaxi got stuck in the construction area and was unable to recognize the route.
The video also shows construction workers making way for the vehicle. This video also received attention from Waymo’s official X account. Fortunately, no injury was reported during this event.
Waymo is one of the two major Robotaxi brands testing its ride-hailing services in the U.S. The company is known for its autonomous driving technology and is a subsidiary of Alphabet.
driverless waymo drives right into a construction area 🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/7WQC7VKKdI
— entartika (@entartika) April 10, 2024
Over the past years, Waymo has increased its presence in public in Metro Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. It is also working its way through Austin.
You can use the “Waymo One” app and call for a ride in available areas similar to ride-hailing services from Uber or Lyft. Compared to those, Waymo Robotaxi comes without a driver, and driving is done by the car’s autonomous technology.
Waymo Driverless Car (Image Credit: Waymo)
It is currently using a customized Jaguar I-PACE electric SUV featured with a bunch of sensors and Lidars to map the on-road traffic and lead its way to the destination.
According to the company, its services are used by tens of thousands of people each month in Metro Phoenix. As of October last year, Waymo reported 10,000 rides each week in Metro Phoenix.
It is certainly a revolutionary technology to make mobility services more accessible for customers. However, it needs more improvements and the company should be loading more driving data into the system to prevent such scenarios which could even hurt someone.
Note: The authenticity of this video and when it was recorded remains unverified.