How Waymo’s cameras and microphones caught two teens mid-prank

Waymo states that its autonomous vehicles are equipped with internal cameras and microphones designed to support passenger safety and security. According to the company’s support documentation, the cameras can also be used to help locate lost items and confirm vehicle cleanliness. Waymo says it does not use facial recognition or other biometric identification technologies to identify passengers, but adds that “in more urgent circumstances, support may access live video during a trip.”

Those systems came into play recently in San Mateo, California, where a Waymo robotaxi pulled into a parking lot and contacted authorities after two 15-year-olds allegedly used the vehicle while drinking alcohol and shooting water guns filled with Orbeez from its windows. Officers arrived to find the vehicle stopped and waiting, and detained the two teenagers on the spot.

The San Mateo Police Department shared video of the incident on Facebook, with officers approaching the stationary robotaxi. Police said the teenagers had been using toy guns to shoot Orbeez, small water-absorbing beads, through the vehicle’s windows, and warned more broadly about the dangers of carrying imitation firearms in public.

The incident highlights how onboard monitoring systems built for passenger safety can end up documenting unrelated incidents, offering a real-world example of how autonomous vehicles function as connected systems even without a human driver behind the wheel.