Summary: Waymo has introduced new features for its driverless taxis to assist passengers with disabilities, particularly the visually and hearing impaired. A roof-mounted display will show passengers’ initials or usernames for easy identification, while the Waymo One app will guide users to the vehicle using accessible routes and a compass function when GPS is weak. Vehicles will emit a unique melody to help visually impaired users recognize them. Collaborating with the Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Waymo aims to improve accessibility through direct input from disabled users. Despite skepticism, Waymo’s goal is to enhance the user experience in driverless services.
A series of functions have been added to its driverless taxis to make it easier for people with disabilities such as the visually impaired and hearing impaired to ride.
This update includes adding a display device on the roof that displays the passenger’s initials, or a user-defined display name through the Waymo One app, and allows users to identify it within a certain distance. Another feature is that the Waymo One app can guide users to the most suitable route to the ride location, including identifying sidewalks, crosswalks, or paths suitable for pedestrians. In places where GPS positioning is poor, the compass function will be used to allow users to continue moving in the direction of the vehicle.
To accommodate users with disabilities, such as the visually impaired, Waymo will have its service vehicles emit a unique melody to help users determine whether they are in the right vehicle. Furthermore, Waymo is also currently adding barrier-free features to its driverless taxis to increase the convenience of using this service for users with limited mobility.
Waymo product manager Kevin Malta said that it has been working with the Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired in San Francisco to allow people with disabilities to directly participate in accessibility design and testing, so that the accessibility design of unmanned autonomous vehicles can better meet actual usage needs.
However, many people question whether these barrier-free designs can actually work when the vehicle is operating without a real driver. Kevin Malta believes that Waymo’s long-term goal is to improve such problems and hopes to add a “human touch” to driverless services.