Robotaxi Outage In China Leaves Passengers Stranded On Highways (wired.com)
- Reference: 0181196938
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/04/01/064244/robotaxi-outage-in-china-leaves-passengers-stranded-on-highways
- Source link: https://www.wired.com/story/robotaxi-outage-in-china-leaves-passengers-stuck-in-cars-on-highways/
> An unknown technical problem caused a number of robotaxis owned by the Chinese tech giant Baidu to freeze on Tuesday in the middle of traffic, [1]trapping some passengers in the vehicles for more than an hour . In Wuhan, a city in central China where Baidu has deployed hundreds of its Apollo Go self-driving taxis, people on Chinese social media reported witnessing the cars suddenly malfunction and stop operating. [2]Photos and [3]videos shared online show the Baidu cars halted on busy highways, often in the fast lane.
>
> [...] Local police in Wuhan issued a statement around midnight in China that said the situation was "likely caused by a system malfunction," but the incident is still under investigation. No one was injured, and all passengers have exited the vehicles, the police added. It's unclear how many of Baidu's robotaxis may have been impacted. [...] There were at least two other collisions on the same day, according to photos and [4]videos posted on Chinese social media. A RedNote user in Wuhan confirmed to WIRED that she drove past a white minivan that had gotten into [5]a rear-end collision with a parked robotaxi. The back of the Baidu car was badly damaged, but the two people standing beside the scene looked unharmed, she says. She added that she estimates she also saw at least a dozen more parked robotaxies.
[1] https://www.wired.com/story/robotaxi-outage-in-china-leaves-passengers-stuck-in-cars-on-highways/
[2] https://x.com/Jaciezyt/status/2039002529170899087?s=20
[3] https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV11zXCBFEns
[4] https://v.douyin.com/WSNLzVFAVXA/
[5] https://v.douyin.com/zL2V_96j6OM/
Trapped? (Score:2)
Either they were too stupid to open the doors and get out or the doors have a dangerous, potentially fatal interlock preventing them being opened even if the vehicle is disabled. Which is it?
Re: (Score:2)
In the middle of a busy highway? Safer to stay in climate control with crumple zones and airbags than step out into danger until police arrive to control traffic.
Fundamentally Untrustworthy (Score:2, Troll)
Humans have flaws. Taxi drivers sometimes commit crimes. Nothing I will say here is meant to imply that humans are perfect. But they can at least be trusted to do something predictable most of the time. A computer cannot, so you can't trust it on its OR even as much as a human. But you also can't trust central management. QED, you simply cannot ever trust an autonomous taxi.
Finding ways to replace human work is the backbone of progress, but sometimes replacing a human is not actually a good idea.
Re: (Score:1)
You're forgetting that if it becomes 25% of all traffic then suffers employee sabotage, a hack, a glitch, or communication outage, that collectively happen all the time, it could shut down an entire city or country. That's why this self driving garbage shouldn't be allowed for at least 20 years until they get the tech perfect enough to be locally autonomous.
Well Duh! (Score:2)
when your depended on others and they fail, it is always you who gets stranded.