====== Waymo / Google Chauffeur ======

Begun as Google Chauffeur, now spun out as Waymo, this was the first and is still almost universally viewd as the preeminent team in the field.  They operate the limitd [[Waymo One]] service in the [[Phoenix]] area with live customers.
===== Summary =====
Chauffeur was formed at Google by Larry Page, from winners of the [[DARPA Grand Challenge]] races and the [[Google Streetview]] team among others.   In late 2009, it came out of stealth after driving 100,000 miles on public roads

=== Vehicle Photo ===
=== Sensors & Hardware ===
The current vehicle, a custom modified [[wp>Chrysler Pacifica]] minivan has an array of Waymo's own custom LIDARs, along with an array of cameras and radars.    On the roof is a dome including Waymo's long-range GBR LIDAR and a camera array.  On the sides are shorter range LIDARs to see areas not visible from the dome.

Waymo has had 5 different vehicles:
  - A Toyota Prius with [[Velodyne]] VL-64 on top, wheel encoders, GPS, IMU, [[Bosch]] radar and cameras behind the windshield.
  - A Lexus RX450 hybrid SUV with a similar sensor suite to the Prius
  - A custom built 2-seater [[wk>Neightborhood Electric Vehicle]] made by [[Rausch]] known as the [[Firefly]].  Initially using a Velodyne, these switched to Google-made LIDARs.  This vehicle had no driver controls.
  - A custom modified Pacifica minivan, as described above.
  - A custom modified [[wp>Jaguar I-Pace]], not yet in production use.
==== History and Events ====
==== Key People ====
  * [[John Krafcik]], current CEO
  * [[Dmitry Dolgov]], CTO
=== Alumni ===
  * [[Sebastian Thrun]], first leader, founder of [[Udacity]], [[Voyage]] and [[Kitty Hawk]]
  * [[Chris Urmson]], leader and CTO to 2017.  Founder of [[Aurora]].
  * [[Anthony Levandowski]], founder of [[510 Systems]], [[Otto]] and [[Pronto.ai]]
  * [[Dave Furguson]], founder of [[Nuro]]
  * [[Jiajun Zhu]], perception lead, founder of [[Nuro]].
  * [[Don Burnette]], founder of [[Kodiak]]
  * [[Brad Templeton]] - publisher of this Wiki
  * [[Bryan Salesky]], CEO of [[Argo]] at Ford.

==== Key Facts ====
  * Team Size: ? (as of ?)
  * Vehicles in Test: 800 in 2019.  80,000 vehicles on order with Chrysler and Jaguar
  * Budget/Funding:  $? (as of ?)
=== Areas of Operation ===
  * Commercial operation around Chandler, Arizona.
  * Heavy testing operation in [[Mountain View, CA]].
  * Test track in central California at [[Castle]].