Waymo is now running its 6th-generation Driver without safety drivers on public roads, marking the beginning of fully autonomous operations with the company’s latest and most cost-effective hardware stack, according to Electrek.
The announcement, authored by Waymo VP of Engineering Satish Jeyachandran, confirms that the 6th-generation system, first unveiled in August 2024, is now validated for driverless operations across multiple cities. Waymo describes it as the product of seven years of service and nearly 200 million fully autonomous miles logged across 10+ major U.S. cities.
The 6th-gen Waymo Driver cuts the sensor count dramatically: 13 cameras (down from 29), four lidars (down from five), and six radar units, a 42% reduction in total sensors compared to the 5th-gen system running on the Jaguar I-PACE fleet. Despite the reduction, Waymo claims the new suite delivers greater resolution, range, and compute power.
At the core of the camera system sits a 17-megapixel imager that Waymo says is a generation ahead of other automotive cameras in resolution, dynamic range, and low-light sensitivity. The lidar system leverages industry-wide cost reductions over the past five years, with custom-designed chips and optical components built in California. Short-range lidars provide centimeter-scale accuracy for navigating around pedestrians, car doors, and other urban obstacles.
(Picture: Waymo)
