I know the blinkers / wiper thing sounds silly, but look at it from the other direction. If were designing the car from scratch, would we have those sounds?
Once you can nap in the cars, it will become more important.
We often talk about Lidar and algorithms, but Rakesh Agrawal’s latest piece shifts the focus to where it matters most: the passenger.
If Waymo or Tesla want to win, they need to stop thinking like car manufacturers and start thinking like hospitality experts. Some of my favorite takeaways from his 11 proposals:
Sensory Comfort: Letting passengers silence turn signals or wipers (since the car "sees" via sensors anyway).
Proactive Safety: "Escort lighting" that stays on until you safely enter your building.
The "Sniff Test": Using electronic noses to ensure the cabin doesn't smell like the previous rider's takeout.
The goal isn't just a car that drives itself; it's a "frictionless sanctuary." Which of these features would make you switch to autonomous ride-hailing for good? 👇
The wiper and blinker thing had me rolling my eyes, but the rest seem good.
It seems inevitable that most Waymos move to trolley, bus style body designs... they just have to retrofit normal cars for now but I can't imagine that's long term for most robotaxis.
Getting in and out of something with a low step and without all the weird leaning you have to do for a sedan will be a big win.
TDD Reader Comment via e-mail: This is awesome. What do you think about drink or coffee dispensers in a Waymo? They could team up with a local coffee chain to dispense coffee on rides.
We typically tell Uber drivers to invest in things that are evergreen and will allow for multiple uses so the marginal cost stays low. For example, charging cables cost about $10 and can be used indefinitely across hundreds or even thousands of rides.
I know the blinkers / wiper thing sounds silly, but look at it from the other direction. If were designing the car from scratch, would we have those sounds?
Once you can nap in the cars, it will become more important.
We often talk about Lidar and algorithms, but Rakesh Agrawal’s latest piece shifts the focus to where it matters most: the passenger.
If Waymo or Tesla want to win, they need to stop thinking like car manufacturers and start thinking like hospitality experts. Some of my favorite takeaways from his 11 proposals:
Sensory Comfort: Letting passengers silence turn signals or wipers (since the car "sees" via sensors anyway).
Proactive Safety: "Escort lighting" that stays on until you safely enter your building.
The "Sniff Test": Using electronic noses to ensure the cabin doesn't smell like the previous rider's takeout.
The goal isn't just a car that drives itself; it's a "frictionless sanctuary." Which of these features would make you switch to autonomous ride-hailing for good? 👇
I like these a lot.
The wiper and blinker thing had me rolling my eyes, but the rest seem good.
It seems inevitable that most Waymos move to trolley, bus style body designs... they just have to retrofit normal cars for now but I can't imagine that's long term for most robotaxis.
Getting in and out of something with a low step and without all the weird leaning you have to do for a sedan will be a big win.
TDD Reader Comment via e-mail: This is awesome. What do you think about drink or coffee dispensers in a Waymo? They could team up with a local coffee chain to dispense coffee on rides.
This might be tough and could get messy.
We typically tell Uber drivers to invest in things that are evergreen and will allow for multiple uses so the marginal cost stays low. For example, charging cables cost about $10 and can be used indefinitely across hundreds or even thousands of rides.