Will we ever get to Level 5? Don’t know. But this company needs its own thread - it’s just raised $2.25 billion:
Today, Waymo is announcing our first external investment round, led by Silver Lake, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, and Mubadala Investment Company. Additional investors in this initial $2.25 billion close include Magna International, Andreessen Horowitz, and AutoNation, as well as Alphabet.
Alphabet is the parent of Waymo.
(Source - Waypoint - The official Waymo blog: Waymo raises first external investment round)
It’s already testing with passengers in a Phoenix suburb in Arizona:
How does a Waymo car work?
An awesome TED talk by an ex-lead who then co-founded Aurora:
Some history:
2005 - Stanley (it won, then came second the next year):
Project Choffeur:
Lexus SUVs (used by many since then):
Firefly prototypes used - no steering wheels!
Then retired:
It’s using Fiat Chrysler Pacificas now:
Also Jaguar I-PACEs:
The trucks are here:
SDCs are here, fully autonomous or not: