A pregnant woman in San Francisco gave birth inside a Waymo robotaxi Monday night en route to UCSF Medical Center, marking the latest milestone in the driverless car saga that no one saw coming — except everyone with more than six months of experience behind the wheel of a ride-share vehicle.
According to The SF Standard, Waymo’s remote team detected “unusual activity” and called 911, though the vehicle beat emergency services to the hospital.
Some traditions, it seems, are immune to disruption. For decades, expectant mothers have been racing against biology in the back seats of taxis and Ubers from London to Los Angeles. There was the mother in India who named her son Uber after giving birth to him en route to the hospital (the driver reportedly helped in the delivery). There was also the California couple in 2017 who welcomed their baby in an Uber during Shabbat. “Everyone is telling us to name the baby Uber,” the father joked, before adding, “But we can’t do that.” (Ah, though, they could have!)
The stories go on and on. Now, Silicon Valley has automated the experience, at least partially.
The vehicle in San Francisco was promptly removed for cleaning. Further, this wasn’t Waymo’s first birth — the company told the Standard that a Phoenix baby got there first. “While this is a very rare occurrence,” a Waymo spokesperson deadpanned, “some of our newest riders just can’t wait to experience their first Waymo ride.”
