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The Verge - Tech
Waymo lifts the lid on the ‘brain’ powering its robotaxis
Waymo has unveiled specific details about the 'brain' that drives its robotaxi fleet, introducing its custom silicon chip architecture and highlighting its partnerships with hardware suppliers like AMD and Nvidia. This technology is designed to handle massive sensor data in real time, aiming to improve safety and performance as the company operates approximately 4,000 vehicles across multiple cities. Waymo's continued reduction in costs for these computing systems may facilitate further expansion despite substantial hardware expenses.
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Published 20 Aug 2026, 14:05 UTC4 min read
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Summary
TL;DR
- Waymo details its new computing architecture for robotaxis
- Custom 5-nanometer chip designed for real-time sensor data processing
- Partnerships with AMD, Nvidia, and others for hardware components
- Operating around 4,000 vehicles, conducting 500,000 trips weekly
- Focus on sensor fusion for improved safety and performance
Interesting facts
- Waymo's compute power has increased 20 times in the last eight years
- The custom chip provides 1,000 TOPS for processing sensor data
- Waymo's approach contrasts with Tesla's dismissal of lidar technology