Michigan Streets to See Waymo’s High-Tech Self-Driving Cars Next Year

I still remember the first time I heard about Uber.

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the thought that I would use an app on my phone and it would summon a random person driving their own car to pick me up and take me to where I needed to go seemed crazy.

Fast forward years later and it's become a very common way for so many people to get around.

Soon another new way for people to get around will arrive in Michigan.

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This new way of getting around is full of state of the art technology but with one thing it doesn't have might leave some passengers afraid to get in for a ride.

Waymo Introducing Its Autonomous Ride Service To Detroit

Waymo announced that it plans to launch its fully autonomous robotaxi service in Detroit beginning in 2026.

That's right these new rideshare vehicles do not have human drivers.

Waymo's system, which they call the Waymo Driver, uses a combination of hardware and software to see, think, and navigate, much like a human driver—but with a 360-degree, all-weather view.

The main parts that make this possible are Lidar, Cameras and Radar.

Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging): Lidar sends out millions of laser pulses in all directions to create a 3D map of the car's surroundings, measuring the exact distance and size of objects up to hundreds of meters away.

Cameras: The cameras capture high-resolution 360-degree images and help identify details like traffic light colors, road signs, pedestrians, and cyclists, even from far away.

Radar: And finally the car uses radio waves to measure the speed and direction of objects. This is useful for seeing in weather conditions like rain, fog, and snow.

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When I first heard these cars were driverless I was kind of scared but now that I'm aware of all the technology they have on board I actually feel a bit safer.