AI APPLICATIONS
HOW WAYMO’ S TECHNOLOGY WORKS
Waymo – a subsidiary of Alphabet, Google’ s parent company – was founded in 2009 and is widely recognised as the leading autonomous vehicle provider globally.
Before Waymo launches services in a new region, its routes are manually driven to collect data and map every street in precise detail. This process removes reliance on external data sources like GPS, which can be inconsistent due to variable signal strength.
Manual testing also enables the Waymo Driver to learn directly from skilled human drivers, capturing nuanced insights about each local roadway.
Waymo’ s sixth-generation hardware features an advanced sensor suite, including 13 cameras, four lidars, six radars and multiple External Audio Receivers( EARs). This enables the Waymo Driver to see and hear in every direction, both day and night, with overlapping visual coverage extending up to 500 metres.
Data collected by the sensors is processed through the Waymo Driver’ s perception system, which uses AI to interpret its surroundings in real time.
With more than 20 million miles of real-world driving data and in excess of 20 billion simulated miles, the Waymo Driver applies AI to anticipate the movement of objects on the road.
The system predicts multiple potential trajectories for each object and determines the safest and most efficient path for itself.
108 December 2025