The fully autonomous Waymo ride share service is now in Tampa, which means no driver behind the wheel.
The service opened to the public on Oct. 14, after a limited launch in September.
The service area covers about 50 square miles, including Hyde Park, Westshore, Water Street and Ybor City as of now. The company is now testing the cars in Pinellas County.
Most passengers will test a Waymo out of curiosity, or because it’s a cheaper option than other ride shares.
However, for people who can’t drive, this additional option is more than a technological novelty.
Accessibility for visually impaired people
Chelsea Bridges is with the Florida Lighthouse for the Blind. She is visually impaired.
We joined her on her seventh Waymo ride to see how the service works for her.
A few challenges came forth at the start. Bridges said it’s hard to tell which car is hers with less vision.
ALSO READ: University of Tampa students recall a Waymo ride gone wrong
Once it’s found, she said getting inside isn’t easy.
“My foot always catches and I almost end up, like, falling into the car because it's higher than normal,” Bridges said.
When we were on the road headed towards Oxford Exchange, she noticed the confidence of the robot driver.
“Whoever's doing it, there's no hesitancy,” Bridges said. “I watch it as it gets into the next lane or in between traffic, and I'm like, ‘oh, so aggressive driving.’”
Near the end of the 10-minute commute, the automated voice let Bridges know they were almost at the drop-off point.
“I do like that they'll let you know when you're getting close to your destination when it's time to get out,” Bridges said.
She also said some of the visually impaired clients she works with, who use guide dogs, have been turned away by traditional ride share drivers.
“Even though that's against the ADA because the person driving it didn't want a dog in their car,” Bridges said. “With Waymo, they're not going to turn you down.”
Debbie Malone is the president of Tampa’s National Federation for the Blind of Florida’s chapter. She said some people get denied for more reasons than guide dogs.
“Some people get denied just because they're blind and they have a white cane,” Malone said.
Accessibility for older adults
People with visual impairments aren’t the only beneficiaries of this new technology.
For older adults, this additional mode of transportation could give them more independence.
Laura Streed is the director of outreach and engagement for AARP Florida. She says people tend to outlive their ability to drive by seven years.
“So having more transportation options is so important,” Streed said. "It is exciting to have yet another option here in Tampa for someone that may not just feel comfortable driving at night anymore.”
Still, Waymos come with a learning curve for seniors.
Passengers need to use an app to request a ride and unlock the car. And unlike a traditional taxi, there is no driver to assist them.
That’s why Streed said AARP has been using a buddy system to help their older adults use the service.
“It is always uncomfortable to navigate a new type of transit system that you're not used to,” Streed said.
Waymo’s accessibility initiatives
The team has partnered with local organizations through a program called the Waymo Accessibility Network.
Multiple disability advocates worked with the company to assist those with physical, visual, cognitive and sensory disabilities.
"Fully autonomous driving technology can be especially transformative for people who cannot or choose not to drive, including people with disabilities and the aging community,” said Waymo spokesperson Hannah Tuten.
Before Waymo, transportation options were limited to buses that seldom offer a direct route and traditional taxis that only operate during typical work hours.
“The nice thing is that the more options that we have, the more space we're making [it] more available and more accessible for older adults – and really people of all ages,” Streed said.
How safe is it?
Waymo’s safety statistics show fully autonomous rides are over 10 times safer than the average human driver.
Arman Sargolzaei is with the Center for Urban Transportation Research. He said among the many positives, passengers won’t have to worry about the cognitive abilities of a robot driver during a late-night ride.
"Sometimes, an issue of, like, asking for a ride, in late nights,” Sargolzaezi said. “I think with these kind of driverless vehicles that are coming to Tampa, that is going to be solved."
But how safe can a car be, with no human reaction?
"They're going to perceive the information from the environment and then they are going to make it an action for the vehicle to drive itself," Sargolzaezi said.
ALSO READ: The Waymo driverless taxi service is now in Tampa
Reports from the company show 95 percent fewer serious injury crashes compared to a human driver.
However, these statistics don’t include Tampa — and there have already been problems locally.
After a Buccaneers game earlier this month, a group of University of Tampa students’ Waymo started driving on the wrong side of the road.
The car stopped without hitting anything. Waymo responded in the statement below.
“In Tampa this week, a Waymo vehicle briefly entered a temporary one-way street in Tampa before our team was able to correct the issue. We are looking into this event so we can learn more and improve."
The malfunction isn’t stopping one of the passengers, Matthew Reardon, from taking another ride.
“I think it is very cool and I probably would take one again, but definitely not home from a big crowd like that,” Reardon said.
How it works
Before the rides came to Tampa, the Waymo team mapped the area in detail by taking rides with no passengers and simulating rides with artificial intelligence.
Rides are also available in 20 cities, with two additional service areas in Florida – Orlando and Miami.
During the simulations, their AI noted lane markers, stop signs, curbs, crosswalks – just about every road sign in the area.
While the car is driving, it relies on this automated map as opposed to GPS, matched with the real-time sensor data from the exterior.
These sensors have cameras, radars and audio facets. This operates on a system called “LiDAR,” which uses laser light to measure distances, giving the car a 360-degree view of the traffic ahead.
This is used to respond to signals like traffic lights changing, construction and temporary road markers.
The computer system uses the sensors to predict what other road users might do, including pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles. It also plans the best routes to take, monitors speed and steering maneuvers.
