Now “Waymo” (Not “Lame-o”), Google’s Self-Driving Car Project Now its Own Company

Google self-driving-car project is now called Waymo, which remains a subsidiary of Google’s Alphabet.

Waymo will be based in Mountain View, Calif and led by John Krafcik.

Waymo stands for "A new way forward in mobility," according to Krafcik.

Waymo’s autonomous system uses radar, camera and lidar sensors, and the company is developing primarily Level 4 and Level 5 technology.

Nathaniel Fairfield, Waymo’s principal software engineer, said the sensors have been able to handle rough weather conditions.

“We are a self-driving technology company with a mission to make it safe and easy for people to move around,” Krafcik said, emphasizing that Waymo is not a car company.

The company’s first driverless ride on public roads without a steering wheel or brake pedal, happened in October 2015, when they launched a fully autonomous vehicle “sans traditional controls” on public roads in Austin, Texas.

“There’s no steering wheel, no pedals,” Krafcik said. “It was a fully driverless ride.”

“I was alone in the vehicle, and I trusted a vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals. The driver has been eliminated as a necessary component of the vehicle.” – Steve Mahan, first official Google passenger.

The company leaders say the project will further pursue commercialization of its autonomous-vehicle technology, and will be responsible for developing self-driving technology and will explore opportunities in trucking, logistics and automaker partnerships.

"Waymo’s next step will be to let people use our vehicles to do everyday things like run errands, commute to work, or get safely home after a night on the town," the company said in a statement.

While there are no specifics yet on how soon that technology will reach customers, CEO John Krafcik said the company’s engineers are drawing closer.

Share on Google Plus

About Unknown