Street Intelligence: Waymo and Waze turn driver data into pothole fixes

Hitting potholes while driving is no fun at all. They can cause headaches, car accidents, and damage to your car, culminating in a frustrating trip. WaymoAnd Robotaxi company Wizthe free, community-driven GPS navigation app, have come together to do something about potholes.

The two companies announced on Thursday Joint venture to target drilling Which needs patching. A new data-sharing pilot program will collect information about troublesome road conditions and inform the city of needed repairs.

Waymo operates in 11 cities, and the pilot will begin in five major markets: Austin, Texas; atlanta; Los Angeles; Phoenix and the San Francisco Bay Area, with plans to expand to more cities in the future. So far, Waymo says it has tracked 500 potholes in the Bay Area alone.

“As Waymo’s autonomous fleet travels through San Jose, we appreciate the collaboration with Waymo and Waze as we explore how technology can help identify issues like potholes faster so we can respond more efficiently,” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said in an email statement.

The transportation departments of each city and state will be able to access this pothole information through Waze for cities program. Waymo reported on Blog post The initial idea for this program was inspired by city officials who expressed the need for a better way to ensure safe road conditions.

Most cities still learn about road issues from residents — either by calling 311 or using the my311 app — or through manual road inspections. This approach has led to inadequate repairs and an incomplete understanding of the safety of neighborhood roads and the resources needed to maintain them.

Using Waymo robots Self-driving technologyincluding an array of advanced cameras, lidar, radar and other tracking sensors, making it an ideal platform for collecting road data.

Waze customers in cities where Waymo operates will also be able to view this data directly in the app, which is noteworthy given that Waze works on a user-based reporting system to identify troublesome road conditions. You can already receive pothole data and their locations in the app, but adding Waymo tracking data will help verify the data and improve the app’s accuracy.

“For years, Waze drivers have helped each other by reporting potholes for a smoother, safer drive,” Andrew Stober, director of strategic partners at Waze, said in a blog post. “This pilot with Waymo adds another source of data to this effort, giving cities a clearer picture of road conditions through our Waze for Cities platform.”

A Waymo representative did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.