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Waymo Seeking Self-Driving Car Guinea Pigs

Phoenix-area residents can apply now to be among the first in the world to ride in and give feedback about Waymo's self-driving vehicles.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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Google parent company Alphabet's self-driving car division is seeking guinea pigs.

Those with an adventurous spirit living in the Phoenix, Ariz. area (including Chandler, Tempe, Mesa and Gilbert) can apply now to join Waymo's "early rider program." Selected individuals will have the opportunity to be among the first in the world to ride in and give feedback about Waymo's self-driving vehicles.

"Rather than offering people one or two rides, the goal of this program is to give participants access to our fleet every day, at any time, to go anywhere within an area that's about twice the size of San Francisco," Waymo CEO John Krafcik wrote in a Monday blog post. "We want as many people as possible to experience our technology."

Wary of putting your life in the hands of a robot car? Krafcik pointed out that the company has been working on this technology for years, and already has lots of real-world testing experience.

"Over the last eight years, we've been focused on the technology behind our self-driving cars: racking up millions of miles of experience, teaching our cars advanced driving skills, and improving the performance of our software," he wrote. "Now, with this program, we're turning our attention to the people who will benefit from this technology."

Through the trail, Waymo is hoping to learn things like "where people want to go in a self-driving car, how they communicate with our vehicles, and what information and controls they want to see inside," Krafcik added.

Plus, alongside the launch of its early rider program, Waymo on Monday announced plans to increase its fleet in a big way. The company already has 100 self-driving Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans roaming public roads, and now it's adding another 500 to the fleet.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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