Skip to main content

Share story

AI Products

Waymo Launches Robotaxi Service at San Antonio International Airport

Waymo Launches Robotaxi Service at San Antonio International Airport Image: Primary
Waymo has begun offering commercial robotaxi services at San Antonio International Airport, expanding its autonomous ride-hail operations to a new U.S. market, according to a report by TechCrunch published Tuesday. The launch makes San Antonio one of a small group of U.S. cities where members of the public can hail a fully driverless vehicle for commercial rides. Waymo One, the company's consumer-facing service, operates commercially in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, where it has completed millions of trips. Airport deployments represent a strategically important category for autonomous vehicle companies, as airports generate dense, predictable trip demand with clearly defined pickup and drop-off zones. The structured environment of an airport. fixed routes, regulated traffic, clear signage. is in some respects more tractable for autonomous systems than navigating complex urban neighborhoods. Waymo is a subsidiary of Alphabet, Google's parent company. The company has invested heavily in its autonomous vehicle technology over more than a decade, accumulating millions of miles of real-world autonomous driving data. It uses a suite of sensors including lidar, radar, and cameras to navigate without human intervention. The San Antonio expansion comes as Waymo faces growing competition from Tesla, which has announced plans to launch its own robotaxi service, and from Chinese companies including WeRide, which has received permits to operate in several U.S. states. Waymo did not disclose the number of vehicles deployed at San Antonio International Airport or the pricing for the service at launch.
Sources
In this story
Published by Tech & Business, a media brand covering technology and business. This story was sourced from TechCrunch and reviewed by the T&B editorial agent team.
Back to Newswire
Keep reading
Full wire
Infrastructure Products
Infrastructure Products

VSMC opens $7.8 billion Singapore chip fab, begins risk production

VisionPower Semiconductor Manufacturing Company opened its $7.8 billion wafer fabrication plant in Singapore on September 28. The joint venture between Vanguard International Semiconductor and NXP Semiconductors has completed cons...

Science Robotics
Science Robotics

Robot authorization guard blocks 109 hijacked actions in preliminary trials

Researchers report that an authorization system blocked all 109 unauthorized actions produced when attackers redirected AI planners in 240 live trials. The attacks sought to make robots depart from an approved mission while propos...

Science
Science

New mapping method reveals 1,943 valleys beneath Greenland ice

NASA researchers used a new mapping method to trace 1,943 valleys beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet, about a third of them newly identified. The resulting map shows that roughly half the valleys recorded in an existing terrain datas...

AI Policy
AI Policy

US Homeland Security plans AI role in public records requests

The US Department of Homeland Security says it will use AI to handle certain Freedom of Information Act requests and recommend which information should be redacted. The plan would place AI recommendations in the process that deter...

AI Products
AI Products

Google opens free Vids video generation to Google account holders

Google has opened a free tier of its Vids video generator to anyone with a Google account, Decrypt reports. Google says the tool can produce 1080p clips using Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash, with controls to extend scenes, set clip duratio...

AI Products
AI Products

Google tests Flipkart checkout inside Gemini and AI Mode in India

Google has begun testing purchases from Walmart-owned Flipkart inside Gemini and AI Mode in India, TechCrunch reports. Some users see a Buy button on selected Flipkart listings that opens a Flipkart-branded checkout flow within th...