Waymo has started offering rides to select passengers in its sixth-generation Ojai robotaxi in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, with additional cities planned. The Ojai is purpose-built for autonomous ride-hailing rather than converted from an existing vehicle. It uses Waymo’s sixth-generation Driver system and a platform manufactured by Zeekr, an electric vehicle brand owned by Geely. The Ojai replaces the Jaguar I-PACE used since 2020 and features a roomier, boxier design with a lower step-in height, higher ceiling, and removable steering wheel. It uses 13 cameras, four lidar units, and six radar sensors, reducing sensor count by 42% while upgrading sensor quality for improved detection in darkness and severe weather.
"Waymo has started offering rides to select passengers in its new Ojai robotaxi, the first vehicle purpose-built for autonomous ride-hailing rather than retrofitted from an existing car. The Ojai runs on Waymo's sixth-generation Driver system and is built on a platform manufactured by Zeekr, the electric vehicle brand owned by China's Geely, the same conglomerate that owns Volvo. Rides are initially available in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, with San Diego, Las Vegas, and Denver expected to follow this summer."
"The most significant change is economic. The Ojai uses 13 cameras, four lidar units, and six radar sensors, a 42% reduction in total sensor count compared with the 29 cameras on the fifth-generation I-PACE fleet. Waymo has compensated for the smaller number of sensors by upgrading their quality. The system uses a new 17-megapixel imager that the company says delivers sharper images with better thermal stability, providing an overlapping 360-degree field of view that can identify objects up to 500 metres away in darkness."
"The improved lidar can see through heavy rain and snow, and upgraded audio receivers can better detect sirens and other sounds, addressing conditions that previously forced Waymo to suspend service in several cities. Earlier this month, Waymo paused operations in five US cities after a software patch failed to prevent ve"
Read at TNW | Cars
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]