You may notice some of our cars have autonomous specialists in the driver’s seat.
Specialists are there to monitor our autonomous driving technology and share important feedback to help us improve the Waymo One experience. Please enjoy your ride as if you’re alone.
Who’s driving the car?
Our cars are operated by the Waymo Driver — our autonomous driving system. Learn more about how our cars are driven.
In some circumstances, autonomous specialists may also take the wheel and drive the Waymo One car manually.
What does the specialist do?
Take important notes to improve your experience
Our specialists monitor the Waymo One car and leave verbal comments to our technical team related to the car’s driving. Don’t worry, they’re not speaking to you and won’t ask for your input.
Step in to support the ride if they need to
Specialists are there as an extra layer of backup, in case your ride encounters any issues.
The Waymo Driver is designed to be cautious and defensive. Though unlikely, your car may need to pause or stop if that’s the best thing to do.
Sometimes, the Waymo Driver just needs a moment to decide how to proceed. If it can’t determine the best course of action on its own, the autonomous specialist can take the wheel and drive you to your destination.
Can I talk to the specialist?
Our specialists are instructed to focus on the car, and not the riders. You’re welcome to greet your specialist when you start your ride, but they will not try to initiate conversation with you.
Can the specialist assist me?
Specialists need to remain seated in the vehicle and can't take special requests like changing your destination or modifying a dropoff spot (though this can all be done in the app). Furthermore, specialists won't be able to help load or unload items into the vehicle.
If you need assistance entering or exiting our cars, we recommend you use our wheelchair-accessible vehicle service. These manually-driven cars have drivers that are able to accommodate riders' needs.