san francisco — Waymo’s self-driving taxis have gone viral for negative reasons including the death of a beloved San Francisco cat and a taxi being pulled over. Illegal turn In front of the police, who were unable to issue a ticket to a non-existent driver.
But this week, Autonomous driving Taxis bring happier news after a San Francisco woman gave birth on Waymo.
A Waymo spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday that the mother was on her way to UC San Francisco Medical Center on Monday when she gave birth inside the robotaxi. The company said the passenger support team detected “unusual activity” inside the vehicle and contacted them to verify the passenger as well as alert 911.
Waymo, which is owned by Alphabet, Google’s parent company, declined to provide details about how the car knew something was wrong.
The taxi and its passengers arrived safely at the hospital before emergency services arrived. Jess Berthold, a spokeswoman for the University of California, confirmed that the mother and child were taken to the hospital. She said the mother was not available for interviews.
Waymo said the vehicle was taken out of service for cleaning after the trip. The company said that although this is still rare, it was not the first baby to be born in one of its taxis.
“We are proud to be a trusted ride for moments big and small, serving riders from just seconds old to many years younger,” the company said.
Driverless taxis have risen in popularity even as they come under increasing scrutiny. Riders can take them Highways and highways About San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and Phoenix.
In September, a Waymo car made a U-turn in front of a sign asking drivers not to do so, and social media users attacked San Bruno police because state law prohibits officers from issuing tickets to the vehicle. In October, a popular cat named Kit Kat known for roaming around the Mission District was trampled to death by Waymo.