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Thanks! We are trying to do more and more of them. It takes more time to set-up and do, but they're a lot of fun! Stay tuned for some content from Dallas and Houston soon. Also planning some things in Kansas City in early 2025, among other places.
OMG when you guys get into the Waymo at 16:00 I just remembered an X-Files episode, season 7 episode 11, roughly about AI... creepy af, but recommended watch for the vibe.
I'll be curious to see how this works! Seems like we will find out with Uber/Lyft soon in New York (Congestion pricing seems to be making a comeback again). My guess is yes, but the congestion charge would be passed along to the rider (as it should be in a place like lower Manhattan where you can take a train or bus basically anywhere). Thanks for watching!
Great video, thanks for taking us along for the ride! I knew that Waymo was testing out on the west coast but didn't realize they were also on the streets of Austin. It certainly will be fascinating to see how things develop with this sort of service. I like the possible applications for riders with mobility needs, so I'm hopeful that's where we'll see the next round of development/investment.
When did Waymo open up testing in Austin? I knew about the Phoenix and San Francisco tests, but did not realize until today that there was one in Austin. Also, I would be interested in seeing if there was a way to automate bus service, though that has a whole different can of worms. How do you tell when someone wants to board? When do you leave? With a taxi service, you know when to start and when to stop. Automating long-haul bus routes will be easier than local bus routes, but both will face those challenges.
Vamsi has had access In Austin since August, but they had a few cars driving around mapping before then. It was only a month or two ago that Vamsi could take guests in the car with him, and when others who were on a waitlist were able to get access. The plan is for them to launch to the public in Austin in early 2025 via the Uber app. Waymo actually just publicly launched in LA last week now too. Bus routes would be interesting because of what you are saying with boarding, although after seeing how the Waymo operates, you would definitely be able to see if someone is standing at a bus stop, even at night in the dark (which frankly is better than a human in some cases). It also seems like bus driver shortages are a real thing. It would be interesting to see if anyone is seriously working on that with large buses. Thanks for watching!
I came across this waymo last spring stuck one saturday night near 4th and guadalupe just stuck there and I thought to myself, probably need to go back to the drawing board on this one. but maybe more than anything they probably were trying to do a publicity stunt. anyway, driverless technology is being driven by competition between the tech firms and the auto manufacturers but before they can sell new units to the general public, it needs a lot more development and consumer confidence. I would speculate that driverless vehicles will be available for the general public to purchase in the next 10 to 15 years. The current driverless rideshare is not really to put uber and yellow cab drivers out of a job but more related to continued development of the field. a driverless vehicle will ultimately be sold to consumer who desire the convenience of not having to drive themselves so that they can focus on other things like texting and watching you tube videos such as me watching your driverless vehicle vlogs while I am riding in my own driverless vehicle. It kindof is like WalMart in China, built in china, sold in china - LOL.
I don't believe they are all being actively watched. I do know that the capability to remotely drive them is possible. I think that only happens when the car runs into some sort of issue. As a rider, you also have a support button which could likely trigger something like that. Thanks for watching!
Every time I see a Waymo vehicle and all the kit that is on it to sense the world around it, I laugh at the absurdity that Elon Musk thinks that he will make full self driving work with just optical cameras.
Want to help support the show? 1. Tell Your Friends. 2. Become a member on Patreon and get access to early episodes, bonus content, and our members only Discord!
www.patreon.com/transittangents
Love these episodes where you show yourself getting out and showing the real world versions of the episode topic
Thanks! We are trying to do more and more of them. It takes more time to set-up and do, but they're a lot of fun! Stay tuned for some content from Dallas and Houston soon. Also planning some things in Kansas City in early 2025, among other places.
OMG when you guys get into the Waymo at 16:00 I just remembered an X-Files episode, season 7 episode 11, roughly about AI... creepy af, but recommended watch for the vibe.
Would Waymo / Uber/ Lyft use toll roads to enter the congestion zone of many cities? Many transit buses and rail have access to the downtown area.
I'll be curious to see how this works! Seems like we will find out with Uber/Lyft soon in New York (Congestion pricing seems to be making a comeback again). My guess is yes, but the congestion charge would be passed along to the rider (as it should be in a place like lower Manhattan where you can take a train or bus basically anywhere). Thanks for watching!
Waymo vehicles already have a fastrak transponder on the windshield here in California, so they're definitely working on it!
Great video, thanks for taking us along for the ride! I knew that Waymo was testing out on the west coast but didn't realize they were also on the streets of Austin. It certainly will be fascinating to see how things develop with this sort of service. I like the possible applications for riders with mobility needs, so I'm hopeful that's where we'll see the next round of development/investment.
Thanks for watching! It will certainly be interesting to see where this all goes.
When did Waymo open up testing in Austin? I knew about the Phoenix and San Francisco tests, but did not realize until today that there was one in Austin.
Also, I would be interested in seeing if there was a way to automate bus service, though that has a whole different can of worms. How do you tell when someone wants to board? When do you leave? With a taxi service, you know when to start and when to stop. Automating long-haul bus routes will be easier than local bus routes, but both will face those challenges.
Vamsi has had access In Austin since August, but they had a few cars driving around mapping before then. It was only a month or two ago that Vamsi could take guests in the car with him, and when others who were on a waitlist were able to get access. The plan is for them to launch to the public in Austin in early 2025 via the Uber app. Waymo actually just publicly launched in LA last week now too.
Bus routes would be interesting because of what you are saying with boarding, although after seeing how the Waymo operates, you would definitely be able to see if someone is standing at a bus stop, even at night in the dark (which frankly is better than a human in some cases). It also seems like bus driver shortages are a real thing. It would be interesting to see if anyone is seriously working on that with large buses.
Thanks for watching!
I came across this waymo last spring stuck one saturday night near 4th and guadalupe just stuck there and I thought to myself, probably need to go back to the drawing board on this one. but maybe more than anything they probably were trying to do a publicity stunt. anyway, driverless technology is being driven by competition between the tech firms and the auto manufacturers but before they can sell new units to the general public, it needs a lot more development and consumer confidence. I would speculate that driverless vehicles will be available for the general public to purchase in the next 10 to 15 years. The current driverless rideshare is not really to put uber and yellow cab drivers out of a job but more related to continued development of the field. a driverless vehicle will ultimately be sold to consumer who desire the convenience of not having to drive themselves so that they can focus on other things like texting and watching you tube videos such as me watching your driverless vehicle vlogs while I am riding in my own driverless vehicle. It kindof is like WalMart in China, built in china, sold in china - LOL.
Curious if anyone knows if there is a person actively tracking or watching each Waymo out “in the field” and able to remotely “drive” it if needed ?
I don't believe they are all being actively watched. I do know that the capability to remotely drive them is possible. I think that only happens when the car runs into some sort of issue. As a rider, you also have a support button which could likely trigger something like that. Thanks for watching!
Every time I see a Waymo vehicle and all the kit that is on it to sense the world around it, I laugh at the absurdity that Elon Musk thinks that he will make full self driving work with just optical cameras.