Waymo recalls robotaxi software after two crashes in Phoenix

Waymo

Waymo, a company that develops technology for unmanned vehicles, has decided to recall its fleet software.

Here's What We Know

The cause was two robotaxi crashes with the same towed pickup truck in Phoenix on 11 December 2023. One of Waymo's vehicles collided with a pickup truck that was "improperly towed" in reverse. The truck "persistently travelled at an angle across the centre turn lane and lane of traffic".

According to the company, the mismatch in orientation between the tow truck and pickup truck caused the robotaxi to "incorrectly predict the future movement of the towed vehicle," and the collision occurred.

According to Waymo's safety director Mauricio Peña, the incidents were minor and no one was injured. Nevertheless, the company has decided to update the software to prevent similar situations from happening again in the future.

The recall process began on 20 December and ended on 12 January with an update of the entire Waymo fleet. As Peña emphasised, the operation of the robotaxi service in US cities was not interrupted for a minute because of this decision.

The software recall reflects Waymo's commitment to safety and transparency with the public amid an increased focus on autonomous driving technologies, the spokesperson said.

Source: TechCrunch