Robotaxi company starts mapping Boston's challenging streets

Why it matters: Boston has varied weather, a unique and dense road structure and lots of pedestrians, so it's a significant challenge for self-driving cars.

• The company, owned by Google's parent Alphabet, offers fully autonomous rides in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix and Austin and plans to expand to a dozen more cities.
• Boston might be one of them.

State of play: Waymo has dispatched a fleet of electric vehicles to collect street-level data about Boston. The initial mapping vehicles have humans behind the wheel.

• They come equipped with cameras, radar and lidar to create detailed maps.
• The company is mapping Mission Hill, East Boston, South Boston, Cambridge, Somerville and major highways like I-90 and I-93.

What they're saying: "We like to have an understanding of a city before we commit," company spokesperson Sandy Karp told the Globe about the mapping that will determine the feasibility of autonomous drivers in Boston.

• Waymo says it's "committed to being good neighbors" and will "collaborate closely with the communities and policymakers" during this mapping phase.

The bottom line: Fully autonomous rides in Boston are closer than ever, but the tech companies behind the robotaxis will have to conquer Boston's notoriously wacky streets before they can safely take passengers.