Waymo’s the end product of security concerns caused the service to be suspended in another city. The Alphabet-owned company temporarily suspended service in Atlanta after one of its robot taxis drove into a flooded intersection.
Shared as a local NBC affiliate in the reportA self-driving car was stuck at an intersection for nearly an hour after heavy rain hit the city. In a statement, Waymo explained that the National Weather Service did not have time to issue one of the flood warnings the company depends on to help cars avoid flooding. There were no passengers at that time.
It is reported that similar incidents have occurred
Waymo has also issued recalls
The move comes weeks after Waymo froze its service in San Antonio after similar incidents, including flooding that swept away an empty car. Waymo decided to recall all 3,791 of its robot taxis through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in late April due to the problem.
Last week, Waymo rolled out a software update that limits where they can drive when there’s a “risk of encountering a flooded, higher-speed roadway,” according to NHTSA documents.
The Atlanta incident shows that the current update is not enough. However, Waymo said it is still developing more, but unspecified, “safeguards” in the recall.
It’s not Waymo’s first security issue
Children and school buses were problematic
Waymo, like other robotaxi operators, has faced criticism over safety in the past. It has driverless cars accumulated parking tickets and other violations in situations they cannot understand. They will sometimes come to a complete stop as a safety precaution, but this can block traffic or create a collision risk.
NHTSA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials are already investigating two problems with Waymo vehicles. In January, a robot taxi hit a child at low speed in Santa Monica, causing minor injuries. There have also been Waymo cars many times school buses were stopped for illegal crossingmore children are at risk.
Nothing new for Robotaxis
These problems have historically been difficult to avoid. While Waymo and competitors regularly train their cars with both real-world tests and simulations, there are still advanced scenarios that autonomous driving systems don’t anticipate. Although the technology has improved, it’s important to note that most robotaxi services are in warm, stable climates where weather hazards are less likely to complicate navigation.
Source: 10News
