Are robotaxis the future? Or now in the past?
Are robotaxis the future? Or now in the past?
While robotaxi companies continue to make false claims about how they are all about safety, an actual solution moves forward. California Senate Bill 961 by Senator Scott Wiener would require Intelligent Speed Assist in new California vehicles in 2027. This is a proven, equitable, and workable solution.
The recent torching of a Waymo robotaxi shows that there simply is no smooth sailing for the company. Sure, they might drive somewhat better than Cruise vehicles. But they still have serious flaws that show that long term viability is doubtful. Plus they do stupid things, and when they do they are quite vulnerable. Therefore they have now become the target of robotaxi ire.
It has been in the news that Elon Musk's $56B pay package was recently voided, because of a lawsuit by some heavy metal drummer. This of course merits a full explanation of what the heck happened, and a viewing of a video of the $56B drummer in action. He is very worthy!
An analysis by Michael Smith on the Quinn Emanuel Report (QER) on the October 2nd, 2023 crash where a pedestrian was dragged and seriously injured. The report was commissioned by Cruise to determine what went wrong and how to address the problems, both technical and operational. But the QER failed to address the most important issues and is therefore not an indication that Cruise is moving forward with improving safety.
A summary of the commentary by Missy Cummings on why the Quinn Emanuel Report released by Cruise did not adequately cover deficiencies in Cruise's remote operations. The deficiencies were significant and need to be addressed by regulators. Link provided to Cummings full article.
Detailed crash analysis (completed 1/23/2024, before Quinn report was made available): On 10/2/23 a pedestrian in San Francisco crossed 5th Street at Market Street in the crosswalk as the light turned red. The pedestrian was first hit by a human-driven vehicle, remained on the hood for a distance, and then fell into the adjacent lane. A Cruise robotaxi in the adjacent lane hit the pedestrian and stopped. The Cruise vehicle then proceeded another 20 feet, dragging the pedestrian underneath the vehicle. The pedestrian was severely injured by the Cruise robotaxi. Regulators shut down Cruise service for providing misinformation.
