The Waymo on Uber robotaxi service launched in Austin a week before SXSW and it’s been a challenge actually matching with one. In Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, consumers use the Waymo One app to hail a ride. And it’s always a robotaxi.
Here in Austin, consumers use the Uber app and sometimes they’re matched with a robotaxi. Usually they get a human driver. Waymo helped TechCrunch coordinate a robotaxi ride. And that was fine and all, but we wanted an experience that was less orchestrated.
We got lucky Thursday morning and were matched. The drive itself was uneventful, although the route was longer than what Google Maps suggested (I always compare). Waymo told me that the vehicles were being routed around certain areas, which may explain the difference.
We did notice some new stuff though. Namely, the user interface, which includes the two displays inside the vehicle that shows the robotaxi and its surroundings. Waymo confirmed the updates and noted that these occur continuously.
Here’s what we spotted. The display now shows the turn signals, hazards, and brake lights of vehicles in front of, and around, the robotaxi. Waymo now colors pedestrians, cyclists, and parked vehicles differently and the display highlights the destination building as the rider arrives at their drop off point. Finally, the Waymo display shows stop signs and traffic cones.
