Alphabet’s Waymo to Sell Its Self-Driving Tech to Outside Firms

Alphabet’s Waymo to Sell Its Self-Driving Tech to Outside Firms

Waymo aims to sell a key innovation to firms that don't compete in the field of autonomous vehicles

Highlights
  • Waymo looks to sell distance-measuring Lidar sensors
  • The technology will be made available across different sectors
  • The company claims its sensors are superior with wider FOV
Advertisement

Waymo, the former Google car division developing self-driving technology, said Wednesday it would sell a key innovation to companies that don't compete with its autonomous cars.

The California-based unit of Google parent Alphabet will offer its lidar sensors, which measure distance with pulses of laser light, to companies in robotics, security, agricultural technology and other sectors.

"Our custom lidars have been instrumental in making Waymo the first company in the world to put fully self-driving cars on public roads," Waymo said in a statement.

"Now, we are making these sensors available to companies outside of self-driving ... so they can achieve their own technological breakthroughs."

The move could offer a new revenue stream for Waymo as it invests in bringing "robo taxis" to market, broadening the availability of the 3D lidar sensors it has been developing since 2011.

"Offering this lidar to partners helps spur the growth of applications outside of self-driving cars and also propels our business forward," the statement said.

"We can scale our autonomous technology faster, making each sensor more affordable through economies of scale."

The company is offering its "Laser Bear Honeycomb" sensor, which is used on the bumpers of self-driving cars and has a wider field of view than many competing sensors, according to Waymo.

"When the Honeycomb sends out a pulse of light, it doesn't just see the first object the laser beam touches," Waymo said.

"Instead, it can see up to four different objects in that laser beams' line of sight... This gives a rich and more detailed view of the environment, and uncovers objects that might otherwise be missed."

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: Waymo, Google, Autonomous Vehicles
Facebook Asked to Do More to Curb Fake News Ahead of General Election: Report
Twitter Was 'Too Aggressive' in Banning Some Accounts, Admits CEO
Share on Facebook Gadgets360 Twitter Share Tweet Snapchat Share Reddit Comment google-newsGoogle News
 
 

Advertisement

Follow Us

Advertisement

© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2024. All rights reserved.
Trending Products »
Latest Tech News »