Waymo Expands Its Self-Driving Vehicle Operations in Michigan

cageymaru

cageymaru

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Waymo has chosen to expand its vehicle integration operations in Southeast Michigan. The Alphabet subsidiary seeks to work with OEM partners to integrate its self-driving systems into their vehicle platforms. Private investments into the project are expected to generate $13.6 million and create 100 jobs with the potential to create 400 jobs. This allows the company to be eligible for a Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant of up to $8 million. The goal of the project is to create the world's first factory dedicated to the mass production of L4 autonomous vehicles. Waymo has already outfitted Fiat Chrysler and Jaguar Land Rover vehicles with self-driving technology. Waymo is partnering with Magna to help integrate Waymo's self-driving system into a fleet of different types of vehicles.

Waymo develops hardware and software in-house so that our self-driving technology works as a seamless, single system. Thanks to our collaboration with MEDC, we'll bring new job opportunities to the talented citizens of Southeast Michigan. The Great Lakes State is one we already know and love, with a talented workforce and excellent snowy conditions for our cars to test. Our local engineers are already hard at work outfitting our Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivans with Waymo technology, and now we're looking forward to expanding our roots.
 
Good cause we've had enough people run over by "safer cars" in Arizona already.

 
I mistakingly read that car company name as wham-o ... not such a great name for a car company that makes self driving cars ... or maybe it is entirely accurate.
 
Honestly I think some of our roads out here in Michigan would require the team in charge of the mars rover to train the car to avoid the potholes big enough to eat a car that you can find easily.
 
lcpiper said:
Good cause we've had enough people run over by "safer cars" in Arizona already.

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Complain about homelessness and those "bums that need to get a job or just die and stop being a leech on society!" yet the minute some car takes one out then it's all about "a human was killed!!!"

(note: I am not saying you specifically said this)
 
It's Michigan, presumably they get snow on the roads at some point during the year, maybe this will shut up all the "experts" who always say "wait until they hit snow and then lets see how they react!"
 
lcpiper said:
Good cause we've had enough people run over by "safer cars" in Arizona already.

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Looking at that video, I don't think a human driver would have been able to stop in time there either.

Self driving cars have a ways to go before they become as good as a human driver driving at their best.

You know, when they are sober, alert, paying attention, obeying all the rules of the road and the speed limit, etc.

Self driving cars - however - outside of extreme weather conditions and the like, are already performing better than typical human drivers, who may be tired, drunk/high distracted by the kids in the back seat, the stereo or their phone or day dreaming, weaving in and out of traffic, tailgating, playing race boy on public streets, etc. etc.

Especially at just after 2am (or whenever the bars close in your town) I'd trust driving near a current self driving car way more than driving near a human driver...
 
Aww..


Waymo doesn't want their cars to look retarded anymore?

front-lights-view-1_0.jpg
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
Looking at that video, I don't think a human driver would have been able to stop in time there either.

Self driving cars have a ways to go before they become as good as a human driver driving at their best.

You know, when they are sober, alert, paying attention, obeying all the rules of the road and the speed limit, etc.

Self driving cars - however - outside of extreme weather conditions and the like, are already performing better than typical human drivers, who may be tired, drunk/high distracted by the kids in the back seat, the stereo or their phone or day dreaming, weaving in and out of traffic, tailgating, playing race boy on public streets, etc. etc.

Especially at just after 2am (or whenever the bars close in your town) I'd trust driving near a current self driving car way more than driving near a human driver...
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I was just trying to be funny, even if I do mostly agree with you right down the line.
 
sfsuphysics said:
It's Michigan, presumably they get snow on the roads at some point during the year, maybe this will shut up all the "experts" who always say "wait until they hit snow and then lets see how they react!"
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It’s not this company but I know they have been test driving self driving cars in Toronto and we definitely get snow up here. I always thought it weird that lane markings are painted white here, when a large chunk of the year the ground is covered in white snow. Must make lane detection a pita.
 
First company that will discount one of those to take me to work and back everyday, I'll buy one. In return, I'll let it park in one of my garage bays to charge, and when I'm not using it allow it to take off and make runs for other people. Split the profit 50/50 with ya *insert new company here*!

Assuming you can actually make a profit.
 
lcpiper said:
Good cause we've had enough people run over by "safer cars" in Arizona already.

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Are you missing the good old days when human drivers never ran over anyone and accidents didn't occur? I see fond memories of those days too when I put my rose tinted glasses on.

Oh right, nevermind. Driver's with five years experience get in accidents all the time. I say five years as that's about how long Wamoo has been on the road
 
coynatha said:
First company that will discount one of those to take me to work and back everyday, I'll buy one. In return, I'll let it park in one of my garage bays to charge, and when I'm not using it allow it to take off and make runs for other people. Split the profit 50/50 with ya *insert new company here*!

Assuming you can actually make a profit.
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I think you heavily underestimate just how horrible some people treat the inside of their own car much less someone else's when completely unsupervised. There is no way in hell I'm letting random strangers inside my car. I've seen cars that literally looked like a landfill inside.
 
When put into a situation where there is no choice but to hit something, I am not going to trust the morals/ethics of a machine. Granted, it would be a rare situation, but all it takes is one time to wreck your life. If I am going to hit something, I would rather it be due to my own decision. At least I can walk away, hopefully, and learn from it. If the machine makes the decision,...well,...I am pretty certain I could not absolve myself of the situation.

That said, it seems if you are okay with anyone making decisions for your own life, then you probably will be okay with a machine doing it for you as well.

It is a fascinating paradigm.
 
Will Smith taught us all, in iRobot, that robots make terrible decisions. That "canner" should have saved that little girl instead.
 
BSmith said:
When put into a situation where there is no choice but to hit something, I am not going to trust the morals/ethics of a machine. Granted, it would be a rare situation, but all it takes is one time to wreck your life. If I am going to hit something, I would rather it be due to my own decision. At least I can walk away, hopefully, and learn from it. If the machine makes the decision,...well,...I am pretty certain I could not absolve myself of the situation.

That said, it seems if you are okay with anyone making decisions for your own life, then you probably will be okay with a machine doing it for you as well.

It is a fascinating paradigm.
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well the automated car would probably brake sooner than a human driver, so if the collision was unavoidable the automated car should do better. that's so long as the hardware and software is optimal for the task.
 
dangerouseddy said:
well the automated car would probably brake sooner than a human driver, so if the collision was unavoidable the automated car should do better. that's so long as the hardware and software is optimal for the task.
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That is not unreasonable speculation, but it is speculation. It could also do worse, depending on how many variables are being considered in the situation. There are a number of articles on the ethical issues which will plague self-driving cars. Most all agree there is no way for a car to factor in everything before making a decision.
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
Looking at that video, I don't think a human driver would have been able to stop in time there either.

Self driving cars have a ways to go before they become as good as a human driver driving at their best.

You know, when they are sober, alert, paying attention, obeying all the rules of the road and the speed limit, etc.

Self driving cars - however - outside of extreme weather conditions and the like, are already performing better than typical human drivers, who may be tired, drunk/high distracted by the kids in the back seat, the stereo or their phone or day dreaming, weaving in and out of traffic, tailgating, playing race boy on public streets, etc. etc.

Especially at just after 2am (or whenever the bars close in your town) I'd trust driving near a current self driving car way more than driving near a human driver...
Click to expand...

Agreed on most of your points. I guess I'll be the one to say that there is a possibility a human driver could have quickly swerved left to avoid a direct hit with the bicyclist. Of course that means the car may have potentially lost control and caused injury or death to the driver. Either way, crossing the road randomly while wearing a black jacket in the dark of the night is a bad idea for everyone.
 
ewb302 said:
Agreed on most of your points. I guess I'll be the one to say that there is a possibility a human driver could have quickly swerved left to avoid a direct hit with the bicyclist. Of course that means the car may have potentially lost control and caused injury or death to the driver. Either way, crossing the road randomly while wearing a black jacket in the dark of the night is a bad idea for everyone.
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Yeah,

I grew up in Sweden (my family moved there from the US when I was a little kid)

Over there Winters are longer and darker than here. They sell these hard plastic reflectors that people, adults and children alike, pin to their jackets usingusafety pins in the winter so they can be seen.

They come in a variety of colors (but usually white or amber) and shapes. Kids can even get them shaped like their favorite cartoon characters.

689245s.jpg


It's considered one of those things you just do. Like wearing a helmet on a motorcycle or a seatbelt in the car.

If you send your kids out in winter time without reflectors, you are likely to be considered a bad parent. Adults wear them too!

Different culture though. Swedes are very pragmatic and safety oriented and care less about being cool or fashionable than we do o we here. It's just taken for granted that you would wear something like this for safety.
 
WBurchnall said:
Are you missing the good old days when human drivers never ran over anyone and accidents didn't occur? I see fond memories of those days too when I put my rose tinted glasses on.

Oh right, nevermind. Driver's with five years experience get in accidents all the time. I say five years as that's about how long Wamoo has been on the road
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No, I remember vividly what it feels like to see a six year old girl bounce off my windshield. To live through it on my sister's birthday, that I am reminded of every year, for almost 40 years now. I also remember the girl's brother rolling along the side of my car, my side view mirror putting a hole in his hip, though he lived through it. And I remember their younger baby brother in a shopping cart spinning off into opposing traffic that thankfully no one hit.

No, "the good old days" are alive and well for me thank you.
 
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