Waymo and Waze Launch Pothole Detection Pilot in Five Cities

Alphabet's Waymo and Waze unveiled a pilot program on Thursday to detect potholes using data from Waymo's autonomous vehicles, sharing the information with city and state transportation departments to speed up repairs. The initiative launches in five cities where Waymo operates: the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta.

Waymo's robotaxis, equipped with cameras, LiDAR, radar, accelerometers, and physical feedback systems, identify potholes by sensing road surface irregularities such as tilts and movements. This data, collected during routine operations, is transmitted through the free Waze for Cities platform, which already provides real-time road information from users to government partners. Waze app users in the pilot areas can view notifications about approaching potholes and verify or correct the detections, helping to ensure accuracy and reduce false reports.

The program addresses limitations in current pothole reporting methods, which often rely on 311 calls, manual inspections, or sporadic user submissions. Waymo developed the effort based on years of feedback from city officials seeking better tools for maintaining streets. In the initial...