Beyond the bike lane: How we've built the Waymo Driver to share the road with cyclists

Cyclists in particular pose a number of unique considerations for autonomous driving technology. They can be walking alongside their bike on a sidewalk one moment, then zooming down the road at 30 miles per hour the next. On public roads, cyclists show a greater variety of behaviors than other vehicles. They can be found between lanes, going against traffic, and walking in streets. As riders and drivers know, bicycles come in all shapes and sizes, and the Waymo Driver, what we call our autonomous driving technology, needs to be able to recognize everything from a tandem bike to a recumbent bike, a velomobile to a tricycle - and safely share the road with all of them.

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