I was in downtown Phoenix last week, and these weird-looking cars kept catching my attention. They all have a device on top that reminds me of a truncated version of the rooftop cameras on the Google Street vehicle.
Then I realized what they were: Waymo driverless taxis. They seemed to be everywhere. I noticed them at intersections on busy city streets, as I watched them quietly make their way through traffic.
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Waymo’s Surreal Empty Driver’s Seat
Seeing the empty driver’s seat is really weird, and honestly, a little unsettling. I’ve been reading about these autonomous vehicles for years, but it’s still surreal seeing the cars navigate city traffic with no one behind the wheel.
Phoenix has become one of the nation’s biggest testing grounds for this technology, and it felt like I was the only one gawking at the driverless cars. They’ve become a normal part of daily life in the city…