"The country's largest operational robotaxi depot is surprisingly quiet. In an inconspicuous corner of San Francisco, Waymo's autonomous taxis hum and hawas they slowly pull into parking spots, patiently waiting for human coworkers to service them as needed. This is a robotaxi rest stop: They park, recharge, and are routinely cleaned or maintained by human workers flowing in and out of the facility. Business Insider took a tour of the Waymo depot on Toland Avenue on a late Thursday afternoon just before Super Bowl weekend."
"The Waymo depot in Bayview was busy but quiet.There was no honking, no beeping - mostly just the constant sound of cars zooming by on the nearby 280 highway. Residents who live near other Waymo depots in California have complained that the robotaxis can make a lot of noise or emit too much light. The city of Santa Monica has even sued the company to force the depot to stop operating past its curfew."
Waymo's largest robotaxi depot in San Francisco handles hundreds of vehicles daily, where autonomous taxis park, recharge, and receive cleaning and maintenance from human workers. The facility operates quietly with minimal on-site noise and sits in an industrial Bayview corridor to avoid disturbing residents. Nearby depots have generated complaints about noise and light, and Santa Monica sued to enforce curfew restrictions. Fleet vehicles use rooftop spinning lidar domes that flash colored symbols to communicate specific servicing needs, such as charging or troubleshooting. As robotaxi fleets scale, similar depots will be required close to customers to sustain local service availability.
Read at Business Insider
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