Specializing in self-service autonomous vehicles, the American company Avride is at the heart of an investigation after several accidents causing collisions and a minor injury.
Here is a story of not very developed autonomous taxis. And guess what? Tesla’s Robotaxis have absolutely nothing to do with it! In the meantime, a competitor to the Californian brand is putting on the show. The American company Avride is in fact under investigation involving its autonomous vehicles. The latter caused a handful of collisions, and one of them still caused a minor injury.
16 accidents under scrutiny: NHTSA launches shock investigation
This front is led by the American highway safety agency (NHTSA) which has recorded 16 accidents involving an autonomous taxi from Avride. What do collisions have in common? They all took place in the cities of Dallas and Austin. According to the national agency’s report, all the autonomous vehicles involved in the clashes were traveling with Avride’s autonomous driving system. The latter would have carried out dangerous maneuvers such as sudden and hasty lane changes cutting off the path of other vehicles.
Why Avride’s intelligence fails where humans succeed
Even the most basic driving situations clearly pose serious problems for Avride’s autonomous taxis. For some, it is impossible for them to recognize vehicles being followed or moving in front of them in time. Others drive straight into obstacles blocking the traffic lanes, without activating the slightest brake. These are just examples. But in all cases, a human operator was on board ready to take back control. All incidents were therefore noted on site.
The open survey aims to further evaluate Avride’s autonomous driving performance. What is the software’s ability to reason securely? Can it accomplish demanding driving situations without hesitation? So what are the risks for passengers and other road users? These are so many questions that the investigation will raise. If the latter could thwart Avride’s plans, it will on the other hand make the competitors happy.
Tesla and Waymo: the big winners from this crisis?
Let us note Tesla in the lead, which is currently deploying its Robotaxis without too many problems for the moment. Currently, autonomous Model Ys provide the service. The Cybercab, which is already in production, will have to wait for the green light from the authorities to be operated throughout the country. In the desired absence of pedals and steering wheel, things could get tricky. Currently, Waymo mercilessly dominates the autonomous taxi market with its camera-packed Jaguar I-Paces.
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Source :
Autoblog
