Alphabet-owned Waymo unveiled its sixth-generation Driver system on Monday with a more efficient sensor setup, featuring a reduced camera and LiDAR sensor count compared to the current platform. Despite this reduction, the self-driving ride’s new setup is said to maintain safety levels and will eventually coexist with the current-gen lineup. CNBC reports that the new system is integrated into Geely Zeekr electric vehicles, a partnership announced in late 2021. The new platform’s rides are boxier than the current-gen lineup, built on Jaguar I-PACE SUVs, offering better accessibility with a lower step, higher ceiling, and more legroom. The sixth-gen Waymo Driver has reduced its camera count from 29 to 13 and LiDAR sensors from five to four, utilizing overlapping fields of view and safety-focused redundancies to perform better in various weather conditions. Waymo states that the new system has a modular aspect, allowing for the customization of sensing components to match specific operating environments, such as more stringent sensor cleaning for vehicles in colder cities. The company says the sixth-gen Driver is reliable in extreme weather conditions and has already accumulated thousands of miles of real-world driving experience, with plans for consumer availability sooner than previous models.
