Overview
- Waymo and Waze announced Thursday a pilot that routes pothole detections from Waymo robotaxis to transportation departments through the free Waze for Cities platform.
- The rollout starts in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta, where Waymo says its cars have flagged about 500 potholes.
- Waze will also show suspected potholes to app users, who can confirm or correct locations to cut down on false reports.
- Waymo logs potholes automatically using cameras, lidar, radar, accelerometers, and the vehicle’s feedback system to spot dips and jolts in the pavement.
- A steady sensor feed could speed repairs for drivers and help Waymo demonstrate value to officials as the company expands service.