Waymo begins testing robot taxis in Atlanta

Alphabet-owned Waymo has begun testing its unmanned robot taxis in Atlanta, Georgia. This is yet another city added to the ever-expanding testing and deployment region of Waymo's service.

Here's What We Know

In the coming months, Waymo will enlist several hand-driven vehicles in Atlanta to gather mapping data and familiarise itself with traffic conditions. The company then plans to test its fully autonomous, driverless robotaxis.

Georgia has little to no regulation of unmanned vehicles, allowing Waymo to deploy its technology. Company spokesperson Sandy Karp said that they are focused on scaling their Waymo One service in the cities where they operate, continuing to promote autonomous technology in a safe and responsible manner.

Waymo has made major strides in geographic expansion of its services in recent months. In early April, the company officially launched paid robotaxi rides in Los Angeles, and in March it received approval for a commercial service in San Francisco. Waymo also offers rides to and from the Phoenix airport.

The addition of Atlanta as a test city further strengthens Waymo's leadership position in the unmanned car-taxi market.

Source: @Waymo, TechCrunch