6th Generation Waymo Driver Launches into Life - CleanTechnica

Waymo has launched its 6th-generation autonomous driving system, marking a significant advancement in its self-driving technology as it expands into new markets and environments. This latest iteration is designed to be more cost-effective while maintaining stringent safety standards, enabling broader deployment across diverse conditions, including extreme winter weather. The development builds on seven years of experience and nearly 200 million fully autonomous miles driven in dense urban cores and freeway networks, underscoring Waymo’s unique position as the only company operating a fully autonomous service at this scale. The 6th-generation Waymo Driver integrates a custom multi-modal sensing suite that combines high-resolution cameras, advanced imaging radar, and lidar into a unified system. This approach allows the vehicle to handle rare and complex driving scenarios by leveraging diverse sensor inputs, surpassing the capabilities of human vision and conventional automotive cameras. Central to this system is a next-generation 17-megapixel imager that delivers superior resolution, dynamic range, and low-light sensitivity at cost parity with lower-resolution