Technology
Waymo starts selling its LiDAR sensors to power robots, security systems, and more
The small mound on the back of Waymo’s self-driving cars is for sale.
The Alphabet-owned autonomous car company is making its “homemade” LiDAR sensor, the Laser Bear Honeycomb, available to other companies.
In a blog post Wednesday, the company said it’s offering the light-measuring device to car companies, as well as firms in other industries such as robotics, manufacturing, agriculture, security, entertainment, and gaming. Imagine a security robot guarding a building or a camera rig scanning a movie set.
Right now, the device sits on the self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivans Waymo has been using in Arizona and the Bay Area.
The move is another way for Waymo to bring in revenue, since the self-driving unit is only operating an autonomous car service in the suburbs of Phoenix, called Waymo One. It has similar pricing to Uber and Lyft, but Waymo only has about 400 vehicles on the road.
Last quarter Alphabet reported it spent $1.3 billion on “other bets,” including Waymo. In Wednesday’s post, the company wrote, “Offering this [LiDAR] to partners helps spur the growth of applications outside of self-driving cars and also propels our business forward.”
The price of the device was not immediately available, but entire self-driving rigs are known to cost more than $100,000.
If you’re interested, Waymo is taking requests for the sensor now.
-
Entertainment7 days ago
‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 4 ending explained: Who killed Sazz and why?
-
Entertainment6 days ago
When will we have 2024 election results online?
-
Entertainment5 days ago
Halloween 2024: Weekend debates, obscure memes, and a legacy of racism
-
Entertainment6 days ago
Social media drives toxic fandom. Is there a solution?
-
Entertainment5 days ago
Is ‘The Substance’ streaming? How to watch at home
-
Entertainment5 days ago
M4 MacBook Pro vs. M3 MacBook Pro: What are the differences?
-
Entertainment3 days ago
Menendez brothers case reignites online: The questions that keep resurfacing
-
Entertainment4 days ago
‘A Real Pain’ review: Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin charm as odd-couple cousins