How San Francisco’s robot taxis are becoming mobile weather stations

In San Francisco, Waymo has equipped its vehicles with sensors that can analyse the weather conditions all around its cars. — AFP Relaxnews

Waymo’s autonomous cabs in San Francisco are now acting as mobile weather stations, capable of measuring the intensity of rain or fog. This allows the autonomous driving system to adapt to the prevailing weather conditions, in real time, for even greater safety.

Waymo has long sought to understand how weather can affect the performance of its autonomous vehicles. Just as a human can quickly reduce speed or adjust braking depending on whether it’s raining or not, or whether visibility is good or bad, Waymo’s driving system must also be able to react to the slightest change in weather conditions.