Waymo’s sixth-generation system is smarter, more powerful, and can

The latest Waymo Driver system has a new sensor suite with fewer components and more power.

Waymo has unveiled its sixth-generation self-driving system, which promises to be smarter, cheaper and more powerful than its predecessors. This will improve safety while enabling the vehicles to operate in new environments.

Starting with the sensor suite, the sixth-generation Waymo Driver has 13 cameras, 6 radars, 4 lidar sensors, and various external audio receivers. These sensors are “optimized for higher performance and significantly lower cost without compromising safety.” In particular, Waymo said the latest system provides overlapping fields of view around the vehicle and can detect objects up to 1,640 feet (500 meters) away.

More: Waymo self-driving cars are 6.7 times safer than humans

Waymo is able to use fewer sensors than previous generations thanks to strategic placement of sensors and advances in sensor technology and machine learning models. Still, less is more, as the company notes that the cameras have a higher resolution and the technology can now see farther.

More interestingly, the sixth-generation Waymo Driver benefits from a new sensor cleaning feature. This will allow the vehicle to drive autonomously even in the snow. This is an important development, and the company says the latest system allows them to replace “various sensing components to adapt to the specific conditions of each operating environment,” such as cold climates.

“Through regular road trips to new cities, we’ve deepened our understanding of how winter weather affects our technology and operations, and applied these valuable insights directly to our sixth-generation system,” said Satish Jeyachandran, Waymo’s vice president of engineering. “For example, because our vehicles are exposed to inclement weather for extended periods of time without human intervention, we’ve implemented precautions for each of our sensors to maintain a clear view of their surroundings, whether navigating Texas roads or driving in freezing temperatures.”

Although Waymo is just now launching the new system, the company says the sensor suite has logged thousands of miles of real-world testing and millions of miles of simulation testing.