Are robotaxis the future? Or instead, the past?
Are robotaxis the future? Or instead, the past?
The robotaxi companies have been more than just a bit misleading to both the public and the regulators. Untruths or downright lies? You decide…
ABC 7 reporter goes on a wild ride in a Waymo. It stops at a green light on a busy road. Then gets lost and tries to drop off passenger 5 minutes away from their destination. The subsequent try was no better. The journalist wishes that there was a driver to talk to in order to actually get to where they wanted to go.
Crash analysis: on 3/23/23 a Cruise vehicle crashed into the rear of an articulated Muni bus while traveling on Haight Street in San Francisco. Cruise claimed that the problem was due to poor speed prediction of the articulated bus, and that they fixed the problem via a software recall. But this analysis shows that they were not being truthful and that the danger might still exist.
Crash Analysis: on 6/3/2022 a Cruise robotaxi was traveling eastbound on Geary Blvd. At Spruce St the Cruise made a left turn. Before completing the left turn the Cruise stopped in the path of an oncoming car, resulting in a collision. Cruise was very misleading about the cause of the crash.
Philip Koopman, associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University, is an important leader in the safety of autonomous vehicles. His extensive writings at Safe Autonomy are a must read. This article is on the many myths that AV companies have been using to promote their vehicles.
A great film from the 1956 GM Motorama Exhibit that shows how we will have driverless cars, and lots of other Futurama, in 1976! And with some great music that you can sing along to.
