Platinum Robotics, Automaton and Automation Design · 2021
The Fifth-Generation Waymo Driver Powering Safe and Easy Transport
by YooJung Ahn
- A' Design Award 2021 Platinum Winner in Robotics, Automaton and Automation Design
- Awarded April 15, 2021
- CLIENT: Waymo
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 1,053,701
- Verification code 2FB174F8B6 · Verify this award
About The Fifth-Generation Waymo Driver Powering Safe and Easy Transport
The Fifth-Generation Waymo Driver is an autonomous driving system for vehicles. The system can be applied to multiple vehicle platforms, from cars to trucks, and supports ride-hailing, trucking, local delivery and personal car ownership. Three sensing technologies are combined in the hardware suite: lidar, cameras and radar. Moving LEDs on the 360 degree lidar carry a personal identification symbol, so riders can recognize their vehicle. Sensors are placed to look seamless on the vehicle. The design aims to make transport safer and easier for people and goods.
The Fifth-Generation Waymo Driver Powering Safe and Easy Transport by YooJung Ahn represents a significant achievement in the evolving field of autonomous mobility design, embodying principles of technological transparency, human-centered engineering, and visual approachability that have become hallmarks of contemporary transportation innovation. This Platinum A' Design Award recipient demonstrates how advanced sensing technology can be integrated into vehicle architecture with both functional precision and aesthetic consideration, the rooftop sensor suite reading as a cohesive sculptural element rather than an afterthought of engineering necessity. The design philosophy appears to embrace legibility and trust-building, with the illuminated chevron symbol serving as a friendly beacon that communicates operational status while establishing brand recognition in the urban landscape. The careful material selection, balancing glossy automotive finishes with matte technical housings, suggests an understanding of how surface treatment affects public perception of advanced technology, rendering the complex array of sensors and processors as approachable rather than intimidating. The documented interaction between pedestrian and vehicle speaks to the design's success in integrating into the human-scale rhythm of street life, the autonomous system appearing as a natural participant in urban mobility rather than a disruptive intrusion. Technical merit is evident in the compact integration of multiple sensor modalities within a streamlined housing that minimizes aerodynamic interference while maximizing perceptual coverage, demonstrating sophisticated engineering optimization. The warm documentary capture invites contemplation of how emerging transportation technologies might reshape the relationship between humans and machines in shared public spaces, suggesting a future where mobility serves diverse needs with elegance and accessibility.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Waymo’s technology, called the Waymo Driver, has the potential to save millions of lives and improve mobility for people and things. The fifth-generation Waymo Driver can be applied to multiple vehicle platforms, from cars to trucks, and power use cases across ride-hailing, trucking, local delivery, and personal car ownership. The latest system is more powerful than ever before and designed for scale, enabling safer and easier transportation for both people and goods.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Waymo Driver and vehicle max dimensions for the I-PACE platform*:
Width: 2130mm
Length: 4863mm
Height: 2041mm
*Please note these are dimensions for the I-PACE platform as an example. Measurements will vary depending on which vehicle platform the Waymo Driver is being applied to. - Tags
- Mobility, self-driving, safety, AI, cars, trucks, vehicles, autonomous vehicles, ride-hailing, delivery
- Production Technology
- Materials: A diverse selection of materials like plastic, composites, glass, and metal
- Design Challenge
- The creative challenge is ensuring the design of the high-tech Waymo Driver remains human-centered. Our designers are tasked with packaging advanced technologies into a design that optimizes performance but also feels approachable to users. For example, we carefully curate the placement of our sensors and other technology on our cars and trucks to maximize safety and performance, while still making them look seamless on the vehicle.
- Project Duration
- Mountain View, CA
- Operation Flow
- The Waymo Driver’s latest hardware suite includes three sensing technologies—lidar, cameras, and radar. Our team designs these technologies to make them feel approachable to users, while still prioritizing safety and performance. For example, we added moving LEDs to our 360 lidar, so that it can include both Waymo branding and a personal identification symbol that acts as a mechanism for customers to identify which vehicle is theirs.
- Inspiration
- Traffic crashes cause 1.35 million deaths each year, and 94% of traffic crashes in the U.S. are caused by human error. While humans are susceptible to dangerous variables, the Waymo Driver doesn't get tired or angry, distracted, or drunk. The Waymo Driver’s latest hardware suite includes new, leading technologies that can be applied to everything from passenger vehicles to long-haul trucks, taking tangible steps to make our roads dramatically safer.
- Patents
- US Patent Appl. Nos. 29/689,690; 29/722,227; 29/724,655; 29/725,082; 29/724,585; and 29/724,589. Chinese Patent App. No. CN201930599257.7. European Community Design App. No. ECD007141866.
Colors of The Fifth-Generation Waymo Driver Powering Safe and Easy Transport
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Autonomous Driving Technology Solutions
We revolutionize transportation safety through our award-winning self-driving technology. Our advanced sensor suite combines lidar, cameras, and radar to navigate roads with unprecedented precision, potentially saving millions of lives by eliminating human error from driving.
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