Waymo Advances Robotaxi Goals with Custom 5 nm Chip for Self-Driving System

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TechCrunch
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RobotToday Industry Briefing

Waymo has made significant strides in its robotaxi expansion, recently launching its sixth-generation Ojai robotaxi for riders in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco. This next-gen vehicle is designed to be more cost-effective in terms of production, operation, and maintenance, which is essential for the company's profitability aspirations.

A key component of this advancement is Waymo's custom 5 nm ASIC chip, engineered to process vast amounts of data from the Ojai's 13 high-fidelity cameras. The chip boasts over 1,000 TOPS of computing performance, comparable to Nvidia’s DRIVE AGX Thor processor, enhancing the system's efficiency and performance in complex urban environments.

Waymo's collaboration with partners like AMD, Micron, and Nvidia underscores its commitment to innovation in self-driving technology. As the company continues to refine its systems, attention will be on how these developments impact the competitive landscape of autonomous vehicles and the ongoing investigation into potential security risks associated with lidar sensors from China.

Original report

TechCrunch Mobility: The custom chip driving Waymo’s robotaxi ambitions

TechCrunch · Kirsten Korosec
Read at TechCrunch

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