Waymo has announced that it will stop selling its lidar sensors to other industries to focus on its autonomous fleet.
First reported by The information, a Waymo spokesman confirmed the move in a statement to Reuters. “We are ending our commercial deal business while maintaining our focus on developing and deploying our Waymo controller through our Waymo One (ride-hailing) and Waymo Via (delivery) units.”
The company began manufacturing lidar sensors in early 2017 to reduce the costs associated with maintaining its fleet of autonomous vehicles. The lidar, called the Laser Bear Honeycomb, is a short-range sensor. Use a combination of radar, lidar and cameras to see the whole car. Waymo sensors are capable of a 95-degree field of view, compared to the standard 30 degrees. They also offer a 360-degree horizontal view around the vehicle.
Waymo began selling lidar sensors in 2019 to increase revenue, although it focused on launching customers who would not compete with its autonomous taxi service. Waymo bought it in different industries, including robots, security, and agriculture.
The two-year effort might not have been so profitable, which could explain why Waymo decided to stop selling the sensors altogether. The alphabet has spent more than $ 3.5 billion to Waymo over the years, though it only brings in some revenue. Waymo has not disclosed how many sensors are sold or where they are deployed, although it told Reuters it would continue to manufacture its sensors for converted vehicles.
G / O Media may receive a commission
Waymo’s decision to withdraw from sales comes months after John Krafcik, longtime CEO of the company run by Alphabet, effectively “passed the baton”Even the executives of Waymo Tekedra Mawakana and Dmitri Dolgov, who became co-directors. However, it has been considered more than a routine exit, as Krafcik’s expansionist approach was often seen as too conservative and criticized for hindering Waymo’s business growth.
It is not surprising, then, that months after billing, Waymo makes serious moves, including ensuring that its technology is unique and exclusive to its range of autonomous vehicles.
This week, the company too announced deploys its Waymo One fleet in San Francisco. People can download the Waymo mobile app to be part of the Trusted Tester program. Those who are accepted will receive free travel in exchange for feedback. It is Waymo’s second expansion after years of testing and operations in the suburbs of Phoenix. This latest expansion will help the company test its technology in a more complicated driving area: a relatively smaller, denser city built on top of cascading hills.