What We’re Reading
Update To GM’s Cruise Robotaxis Will Try To Stop Them From Crashing Into Emergency Vehicles (Jalopnik, October 16, 2023)
After several incidents forced GM’s Cruise division to pull half of its fleet of robotaxis from San Francisco’s streets, including most notably incidents where the robotaxis blocked first responder vehicles, the automaker has deployed a software update aimed at solving the issues. Specifically, GM says that it has “programmed its cars to slow to 70% of the posted speed limit when they detect sirens” and identify early stopping locations in the event an emergency vehicle is approaching, and has implemented design changes to allow the robotaxis to predict if an emergency vehicle will go through a red light. “Cruise is also developing a means for its cars to recognize emergency scenes from greater distances and bypass double-parked vehicles. Emergency responders can enter the cars to move them manually from a scene if needed, the company said.”
Still, opposition to the robotaxis remains strong in some corners. For example, the San Francisco City Attorney’s petition to revoke robotaxi approvals remains pending.
Federal regulators open probe into Cruise after pedestrian injury reports (CNBC, October 17, 2023)
Cruise may soon be looking to fix additional problems (see above) as NHTSA has opened a probe into at least four incidents in which a robotaxi reportedly struck a pedestrian. The probe potentially impacts 594 Cruise vehicles.
“One incident on Oct. 2 involved a situation where a pedestrian was thrown by another vehicle into the path of a driverless Cruise vehicle. That incident matches the details of a hit-and-run crash in San Francisco [in August], which resulted in one pedestrian being transported to the hospital.” Both of these incidents were reported directly to NHTSA, while the other two were identified by the Agency through video posted to public websites.
Cruise initially responded to the probe by underscoring its safety record and its cooperation with NHTSA in the wake of the October incident, and “said NHTSA had not spoken with the company about the August incident or the two incidents” posted on social media.
Toyota’s road to autonomy relies on human drivers (AXIOS, October 16, 2023)
While many OEMs are focusing on fully autonomous, “driverless” technology, Toyota is taking a different approach. “Toyota’s approach relies on human drivers to handle some—or even most—of the tasks, with the autonomous part kicking in only when it detects intervention is needed.”
Toyota believes its approach not only keeps drivers engaged in the “fun of driving,” but can save lives in the short term and respond to technology challenges that have so far hindered deployment of autonomous vehicles. According to the head of Toyota Research Institute Gil Pratt, “[a]nother advantage for carmakers pursuing mixed human-computer modes is they don't have to take on liability the way they do with fully self-driving vehicles.”
The author here had the opportunity to drive three Toyota vehicles following this model, including a “heavily modified Toyota Supra” and a Lexus “outfitted with self-driving capabilities,” on a closed test track in California. Her takeaway? Computers really can be better equipped to handle certain driving tasks than humans. She predicts that vehicles of the future may utilize common tasks like steering and pressing less to operate the car and more to signal to the computer what should happen next.