- the fifth-generation of waymo's jaguar i-pace self-driving vehicles are already being tested on the road.
- on the vehicles, called driver, waymo’s proprietary high-definition lidar system can see a 360-degree view up to almost 1000 feet away, while cameras can see as far as 1640 feet.
- the company says it has done 20 million self-driving miles on public roads.
self-driving company waymo has unveiled details about its 5th-generation test vehicle, which is based on the electric jaguar i-pace. the vehicle (which waymo calls driver) is sporting the latest proprietary sensor technology out of waymo and offers the vehicle's views of the world to a distance of more than 1500 feet. it's the latest development in the waymo/jaguar tie-up that started in 2018.
this fifth-generation driver is outfitted with multiple lidar sensors. the most prominent is the one on top of the vehicle, which can see 360 degrees up to about 1000 feet. waymo shared a quick snippet of how the system sees the world, and the detail is impressive.
complementing the rooftop sensor are four perimeter lidar sensors situated at the corners of the i-pace. these are there for close-range sensing of objects. the company says they will help the vehicles navigate in tight city conditions and help reduce blind spots in certain situations such as over hills.
the company also showed off its camera sensor technology, which can identify details in signs at a range of more than 980 feet. like the lidar system, the cameras can see 360 degrees around the vehicle. perimeter and peripheral-vision systems help the vehicle identify nearby items in detail; they also reduce blind spots because they can peek around objects in a way that a human driver can't.
finally, waymo has re-engineered its radar suite, claiming it has created the world's first imaging radar system. according to the company, the result is higher resolution, better range, and a wider field of view that's enhanced by overlapping radar sensors. the latest generation can spot a motorcyclist from "hundreds of meters away."
while self-driving cars are still years away, the evolution of the systems that are testing on public roads is of vital importance. with higher-resolution images and better range, they’re better able to spot issues and react. waymo's use of multiple sensor types means the shortcomings of one piece of technology is covered by others. it also helps jaguar, which initially saw slow sales of the i-pace, then had to halt production because of battery supply issues. using the jaguar i-pace as a test vehicle makes sense, as it's becoming more clear that self-driving cars will more likely than not be electrified.