Driven by Possibility: Waymo's Road to Autonomous Transport

The Firefly has no steering wheel and no pedals. In Austin in 2015, this prototype gave the world's first fully autonomous ride on public roads with nobody behind the wheel.

The show follows Waymo from Google's self-driving car project to the ride-hailing company it became in 2016, in six sections: the history of autonomous vehicles, Waymo's beginnings, its hardware, its software, today's service and what comes next. You walk from the Firefly to a 2021 Jaguar I-Pace with the fifth-generation sensors, which see 360 degrees up to three football fields away, and on to the Zeekr prototype, whose steering wheel can be taken out. The oldest Waymo here is the only one that never had a wheel to remove.

Waymo worked with the agency NVE to design and produce the exhibit, so this is the company's story told its way. It's on the 2nd floor and included with admission: $52 for adults, $25 for ages 4 to 11, both with the Vault, until 30 July 2028.