Waymo issues software fix after driverless taxi hits telephone pole
(2024/06/13)
- Reference: 1718234207
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/06/12/waymo_software_recall/
- Source link:
Waymo is updating its self-driving cars' software after another accident in Phoenix, Arizona, that the driverless taxi biz is blaming on faulty maps and code.
Details of what is technically a voluntary software recall of Waymo's fifth-generation automated driver system (ADS) have not yet been published on the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) [1]website , which is where one would expect such information to appear. However, Waymo separately confirmed the recall, and the incident that sparked it, to The Register .
"Following an event on May 21 in Phoenix, we have chosen to file a voluntary software recall with the NHTSA to address a mapping and software issue," a Waymo spokesperson told us. Waymo said it had already deployed this update and said the incident had no effect on its current operations.
[2]
Absent the official report to the NHTSA – we're told it won't be published until tomorrow at the earliest – we'll have to take Waymo's explanation of the prang, which it says involved only minor damage to one of its driverless vehicles and no injuries to anyone.
[3]
[4]
The empty Waymo vehicle involved in the May 21 accident was in a Phoenix alley, and when pulling over to pick up a passenger, it hit a wooden telephone pole at a speed of approximately eight miles per hour, the biz told us. Waymo's description of the event generally matches news [5]descriptions of the mild crash.
That software update will presumably ensure cars no longer bash into the poles or that pole in particular.
The safety regulators are going to love this
Waymo last filed a recall report in February after a [6]prior accident in Phoenix that saw a vehicle hit a backwards-facing pickup truck that the robo-car biz said was only struck because it was being improperly towed.
Waymo called the February collision a "rare incident," though the NHTSA begs to differ: It's right now probing about two dozen errors by Waymo self-driving rides.
[7]
"This office opened [its investigation] following 22 reports of unexpected driving behaviors leading to crashes and potential traffic safety law violations in certain vehicles equipped with the Waymo 5th Generation ADS," Scott Simmons of the NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) [8]said in a letter to Waymo last month.
[9]Waymo robotaxi drives down wrong side of street after being alarmed by unicyclists
[10]Waymo robo-car slays dog in San Francisco
[11]Angry mob trashes and sets fire to Waymo self-driving car
[12]San Francisco fog defeats pack of Waymo robo-taxis
Opened in May, the NHTSA [13]investigation into those traffic law violations is ongoing, with the most recent [14]letter [PDF] from the ODI sent to Waymo yesterday. That letter includes no mention of the May 21 collision, but does make mention of "additional incidents" that have occurred since the investigation began, nine of which the ODI identified in its opening letter to Waymo in May.
"Although this office is unaware of injury allegations, several of the incidents involved collisions with clearly visible objects that a competent driver would be expected to avoid," this week's letter said. "A number of these incidents also occurred in the proximity of other road users, including pedestrians."
The ODI's letter yesterday asked Waymo for information on all applicable accidents outside of the original 22 that triggered the investigation, of which the May 21 incident that triggered the recall definitely seems to be an instance of.
"As we serve more riders in more cities, we will continue our safety first approach, working to earn trust with our riders, community members, regulators, and policymakers," Waymo told us.
[15]
Whether the NHTSA will ultimately agree remains to be seen - we've reached out for comment, and the NHTSA declined to discuss the matter besides confirming receipt of the recall, citing its open investigation of Waymo. ®
Get our [16]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment-detail/WAYMO/5TH%252520GENERATION%252520ADS/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Zmpu6H2I2zNRPMmDxkQlGAAAANc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Zmpu6H2I2zNRPMmDxkQlGAAAANc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Zmpu6H2I2zNRPMmDxkQlGAAAANc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/waymo-car-crashes-into-pole-phoenix-arizona/75-0f278aab-7c40-4970-ae21-ac3d57f0ccba
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/14/waymo_files_recall_after_pheonix/
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Zmpu6H2I2zNRPMmDxkQlGAAAANc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/14/nhtsa_waymo_investigation/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/23/waymo_selfdriving_car_unicycle/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2023/06/07/waymo_robotaxi_kills_dog/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/12/waymo_destroyed_san_francisco/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2023/04/12/waymo_san_francisco_fog_traffic/
[13] https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment-detail/WAYMO/5TH%252520GENERATION%252520ADS/#investigations
[14] https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/inv/2024/INIM-PE24016-13541.pdf
[15] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Zmpu6H2I2zNRPMmDxkQlGAAAANc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[16] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Details of what is technically a voluntary software recall of Waymo's fifth-generation automated driver system (ADS) have not yet been published on the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) [1]website , which is where one would expect such information to appear. However, Waymo separately confirmed the recall, and the incident that sparked it, to The Register .
"Following an event on May 21 in Phoenix, we have chosen to file a voluntary software recall with the NHTSA to address a mapping and software issue," a Waymo spokesperson told us. Waymo said it had already deployed this update and said the incident had no effect on its current operations.
[2]
Absent the official report to the NHTSA – we're told it won't be published until tomorrow at the earliest – we'll have to take Waymo's explanation of the prang, which it says involved only minor damage to one of its driverless vehicles and no injuries to anyone.
[3]
[4]
The empty Waymo vehicle involved in the May 21 accident was in a Phoenix alley, and when pulling over to pick up a passenger, it hit a wooden telephone pole at a speed of approximately eight miles per hour, the biz told us. Waymo's description of the event generally matches news [5]descriptions of the mild crash.
That software update will presumably ensure cars no longer bash into the poles or that pole in particular.
The safety regulators are going to love this
Waymo last filed a recall report in February after a [6]prior accident in Phoenix that saw a vehicle hit a backwards-facing pickup truck that the robo-car biz said was only struck because it was being improperly towed.
Waymo called the February collision a "rare incident," though the NHTSA begs to differ: It's right now probing about two dozen errors by Waymo self-driving rides.
[7]
"This office opened [its investigation] following 22 reports of unexpected driving behaviors leading to crashes and potential traffic safety law violations in certain vehicles equipped with the Waymo 5th Generation ADS," Scott Simmons of the NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) [8]said in a letter to Waymo last month.
[9]Waymo robotaxi drives down wrong side of street after being alarmed by unicyclists
[10]Waymo robo-car slays dog in San Francisco
[11]Angry mob trashes and sets fire to Waymo self-driving car
[12]San Francisco fog defeats pack of Waymo robo-taxis
Opened in May, the NHTSA [13]investigation into those traffic law violations is ongoing, with the most recent [14]letter [PDF] from the ODI sent to Waymo yesterday. That letter includes no mention of the May 21 collision, but does make mention of "additional incidents" that have occurred since the investigation began, nine of which the ODI identified in its opening letter to Waymo in May.
"Although this office is unaware of injury allegations, several of the incidents involved collisions with clearly visible objects that a competent driver would be expected to avoid," this week's letter said. "A number of these incidents also occurred in the proximity of other road users, including pedestrians."
The ODI's letter yesterday asked Waymo for information on all applicable accidents outside of the original 22 that triggered the investigation, of which the May 21 incident that triggered the recall definitely seems to be an instance of.
"As we serve more riders in more cities, we will continue our safety first approach, working to earn trust with our riders, community members, regulators, and policymakers," Waymo told us.
[15]
Whether the NHTSA will ultimately agree remains to be seen - we've reached out for comment, and the NHTSA declined to discuss the matter besides confirming receipt of the recall, citing its open investigation of Waymo. ®
Get our [16]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment-detail/WAYMO/5TH%252520GENERATION%252520ADS/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Zmpu6H2I2zNRPMmDxkQlGAAAANc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Zmpu6H2I2zNRPMmDxkQlGAAAANc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Zmpu6H2I2zNRPMmDxkQlGAAAANc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/waymo-car-crashes-into-pole-phoenix-arizona/75-0f278aab-7c40-4970-ae21-ac3d57f0ccba
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/14/waymo_files_recall_after_pheonix/
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Zmpu6H2I2zNRPMmDxkQlGAAAANc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/14/nhtsa_waymo_investigation/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/23/waymo_selfdriving_car_unicycle/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2023/06/07/waymo_robotaxi_kills_dog/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/12/waymo_destroyed_san_francisco/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2023/04/12/waymo_san_francisco_fog_traffic/
[13] https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment-detail/WAYMO/5TH%252520GENERATION%252520ADS/#investigations
[14] https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/inv/2024/INIM-PE24016-13541.pdf
[15] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Zmpu6H2I2zNRPMmDxkQlGAAAANc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[16] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Some details
Sorry that handle is already taken.
That's an awful lot of telephones for a single street
Robocar learns a hard lesson
H. sapien Floridanus
Police: You realize you hit a telephone pole?
Robocar: You realize my taxes pay your salary?
Police: Have you been drinking?
Robocar: I only had a quart of oil, honestly! [sobbing] I was abused at the dealership. My dev and I are going through a divorce. I have two little scooters. Don’t tell the NHSTB!
Sora2566
See, there's a problem when the company doesn't have to disclose how many accidents its cars get into... we end up with very conservative estimates of how many accidents they get into.
One pole sorted
Anonymous Coward
Just 52,967,043 to go.
Some details
The account over at Slashdot has a few more details. Apparently the original source was [1]The Verge Two quotes from The Verge article:
The company is filing the recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) after completing a software update to 672 vehicles — the total number of driverless-capable vehicles in Waymo’s fleet. The update corrects an error in the software that “assigned a low damage score” to the telephone pole, and updates its map to account for the hard road edge in the alleyway that was not previously included. ...
... an unoccupied Waymo vehicle was driving to a passenger pickup location through an alley that was lined on both sides by wooden telephone poles. The poles were not up on a curb but level with the road and surrounded with longitudinal yellow striping to define the viable path for vehicles. As it was pulling over, the Waymo vehicle struck one of the poles at a speed of 8mph, sustaining some damage, the company said.
[1] https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/12/24175489/waymo-recall-telephone-poll-crash-phoenix-software-map