What happens when Waymo runs into a tornado? Or an elephant?
Waymo is using Google's DeepMind and Genie 3 to create a hyper-realistic simulation world for testing its autonomous vehicles against rare edge cases.Summary
Waymo has developed the "Waymo World Model," a highly realistic virtual environment created with Google's DeepMind and the new AI world model, Genie 3. This simulation capability allows Waymo to test its autonomous vehicles, the Waymo Driver, against extremely rare and dangerous scenarios—such as tornadoes, floods, fires, or encounters with elephants—without any physical risk. The model uses three key controls: driving action control for "what if" counterfactuals, scene layout control for customizing road elements, and language control for adjusting time-of-day and weather. Furthermore, the system can convert real-world dashcam footage into simulated environments for maximum realism. By simulating these "impossible" situations, Waymo aims to proactively prepare its robotaxis for the most complex real-world challenges. This effort builds upon Waymo's existing use of Google AI, including the Gemini-based EMMA training model.
(Source：The Verge)