Revolutionizing Transportation: The Fifth-Generation Waymo Driver

YooJung Ahn's Innovative Design Aims to Improve Safety and Mobility

YooJung Ahn, along with her team, has created a design that is not only powerful but also scalable. The Waymo Driver is equipped with the latest hardware suite, including three sensing technologies—lidar, cameras, and radar. These technologies have been designed to be approachable to users while prioritizing safety and performance. For instance, moving LEDs have been added to the 360 lidar, allowing for Waymo branding and a personal identification symbol for customers to easily identify their vehicle.

The Waymo Driver's unique properties set it apart from other designs. It can be applied to multiple vehicle platforms, including cars and trucks, and can power various use cases across ride-hailing, trucking, local delivery, and personal car ownership. This versatility and adaptability make it a game-changer in the transportation industry.

Creating a design that is high-tech yet human-centered posed a significant challenge. The designers had to package advanced technologies into a design that not only optimized performance but also felt approachable to users. They carefully curated the placement of sensors and other technology on the vehicles to maximize safety and performance while ensuring a seamless look.

The Fifth-Generation Waymo Driver was realized using a diverse selection of materials such as plastic, composites, glass, and metal. The maximum dimensions for the I-PACE platform, one of the vehicle platforms the Waymo Driver can be applied to, are 2130mm in width, 4863mm in length, and 2041mm in height. However, these measurements can vary depending on the vehicle platform.

This innovative design has been recognized with the Platinum A' Robotics, Automaton and Automation Design Award in 2021. This prestigious award recognizes world-class, exceptional, and highly innovative designs that contribute to societal wellbeing. The Fifth-Generation Waymo Driver, with its potential to save millions of lives and improve mobility, truly embodies these qualities.