Google’s gumdrop-shaped autonomous driving prototype has finally reached the end of the road.
In a post on Medium, Waymo Lead Systems Engineer Jaime Waydo and Lead Industrial Designer YooJung Ahn confirmed the company is retiring the model – known as the Firefly – to focus on its fleet of Chrysler Pacifica minivans.
Waymo says the move will allow the company to bring fully autonomous driving technology to more people, more quickly. The company also pointed out the minivans are equipped with newer sensors and technology which allow them to see further and more clearly. The minivans are also more comfortable than the Firefly and aren’t limited to traveling at 25 mph (40 km/h).
While the Firefly became the face of Google’s autonomous driving project, it was never intended for mass production. Instead, it was a research vehicle that helped the company “crack some of the earliest self-driving puzzles” such as where to place the sensors and what controls were needed in a fully autonomous vehicle.
Despite its limitations, the Firefly was a huge success as the cars have traveled millions of miles and completed the “world’s first truly self-driving trip” with no controls or human backup.
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