A colleague and I had called for the
We ended up spotting the minivan across the bustling parking lot, and hurried over. As we pulled away, the shopper raised his arm and extended his middle finger.
Welcome to the United States’ first large-scale ride-hailing service with no backup drivers, which
An AP photographer and I took it for a spin and discovered some impressive technology. Waymo’s minivans skillfully adhere to traffic laws and can detect people, vehicles and objects from several hundred yards away.
But amid the advances lurk challenges that developers face as they race to bring autonomous cars to the masses: adapting the machinery to human behavior — and getting passengers to feel at ease without a person behind the wheel.
“The technology is great, but the experience isn’t there yet,” said
During our rides, the minivans slowed for speed bumps and carried out a textbook right-on-red turn. Most impressive was a careful maneuver at a green light where a woman with a walker stood dangerously close to the corner.
But customers in crowded parking lots might find it hard to pinpoint pickup locations without drivers who can call, text or simply watch for them.
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And watching the wheel turn by itself was, well, eerie.
The company said it is listening closely to customer feedback and acknowledges it needs to improve passenger pickups. It's also working to set the proper expectations with riders and has launched a campaign that provides tips.
Automakers and tech companies were moving quickly to put self-driving vehicles in action in 2018, but a fatal crash involving an
Only recently did the industry show signs of recovery. Still, most experts believe there won’t be widespread use for another five years or so, and autonomous vehicles won’t be in every major city until at least late this decade.
Our trip started with a welcome from the minivan — an automated voice correctly pronounced my French first name, which people often mangle. A partition separated the empty front seats from the rest of the vehicle, with a sign saying, “Don’t touch the steering wheel.”
I felt uneasy as the minivan crept into an intersection and waited for oncoming traffic to pass before making a left turn. It was as if a ghost was handling the steering wheel.
My jitters lifted until minutes later, when we made a bold left turn at another green light.
With several oncoming cars zipping toward us, the minivan darted across the road into a parking lot. Though we didn't come close to crashing, the turn frightened us.
“In your case, it was certainly safe,”
The company said feedback from riders is being used to refine its autonomous driving systems and user interfaces to address such safety concerns among passengers.
The program serves hundreds of passengers each week and offers prices in line with
We hailed another
From there, we tried to catch a ride back to
With my
This story has been corrected to say that
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