Waymo has stated that they are working on a solution to fix this issue, but in the meantime, the parking lot is being livestreamed with relaxing LoFi beats.
If you’ve ever wondered what happens to autonomous taxis when the city is quiet, a YouTube channel has the answer. Since the beginning of this month, software engineer Sophia Tung has been livestreaming a parking lot in San Francisco, where Waymo rents space for its robotaxis to rest during their downtime.
A few days after starting the livestream, Tung decided to enhance it by adding LoFi study beats. According to Tung, the entire setup is managed from a mini PC she had on hand, using a webcam surrounded by a cereal box to minimize glare. At any time of the day, you can tune in to see what the Waymo vehicles are up to. If the parking lot is empty, the overlaid text on the video indicates that “the flock will begin to return” between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Pacific Time from Sunday to Thursday, or between 11:00 p.m. and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
Waymo has acknowledged that in certain situations, its vehicles may briefly honk while navigating the parking lots, which has caused the current disturbances. In addition to trying to resolve this issue, the company is exploring other ways to reduce the impact on surrounding communities as they continue to refine their autonomous driving technologies.
By: Nestor Castillo, ForAllTechNews Director