Waymo Announces Custom ASIC for Robotaxis
Waymo, the autonomous‑driving unit of Alphabet Inc., disclosed on Thursday that it has designed and brought into production a custom application‑specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for its latest generation of robotaxis. The move marks a strategic shift away from reliance on third‑party processors such as those supplied by Nvidia Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc., which Waymo has previously integrated into its own computing platforms.
The newly developed chip is manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) using a 5‑nanometer fabrication process. Although this node is not TSMC’s most advanced offering, it remains widely adopted by leading technology firms. The ASIC is capable of delivering more than 1,000 TOPS (trillions of operations per second), a performance level that the company says is comparable to Nvidia’s latest autonomous‑driving systems.
Waymo states that the custom chip will accelerate the processing of sensor data and enable faster execution of AI models that interpret and react to complex urban environments, thereby improving vehicle reflexes and navigation capabilities. In addition to performance gains, Waymo expects the in‑house chip to reduce overall system costs and allow for more spacious and accessible interior designs for passengers.
The development aligns with Alphabet’s broader initiative to create proprietary silicon solutions and to manage the escalating costs associated with AI computing infrastructure across its businesses.