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Waymo is issuing a voluntary software program recall for all of its 672 robotaxis after one autonomously drove right into a phone pole in Phoenix, Ariz. final month. That is Waymo’s second-ever recall.
The Verge first reported the brand new software program recall. Throughout the incident, which passed off on Could 21, an empty Waymo automobile was driving to choose up a passenger. To get there, it drove by an alley lined on each side by picket phone poles that have been stage with the street, not up on a curb. The street had longitudinal yellow striping on each side to point the trail for automobiles.
Because the automobile pulled over, it struck one of many poles at a velocity of 8 MPH, sustaining some injury. Waymo says no passengers or bystanders have been damage.
After finishing the software program replace, the Mountain View, Calif.-based firm filed the recall with the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration (NHTSA). Waymo says this replace corrects an error within the software program that “assigns a low injury rating” to the phone pole. Moreover, it updates the corporate’s map so its automobiles can higher account for the laborious street edge within the alleyway that was beforehand not included.
“Following an occasion on Could 21 in Phoenix, we have now chosen to file a voluntary software program recall with the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) to deal with a mapping and software program difficulty. Now we have already deployed mapping and software program updates throughout our whole fleet, and this doesn’t impression our present operations. As we serve extra riders in additional cities, we are going to proceed our security first strategy, working to earn belief with our riders, group members, regulators, and policymakers,” a Waymo spokesperson informed The Robotic Report.
Waymo’s engineers deployed the recall at its central depot the place its robotaxis usually return to for upkeep and testing. It was not an over-the-air software program replace.
Waymo expands operations regardless of scrutiny
Final February, Waymo recalled 444 automobiles after two minor collisions. The 2 collisions occurred in December 2023, when two of Waymo’s automobiles, in two completely different cases, collided with a backward-facing pickup truck being improperly towed forward of the automobile. The pickup truck was angled throughout the middle flip lane and site visitors lane.
The corporate can also be at the moment below investigation by the NHTSA for over two dozen incidents involving its driverless automobiles. These incidents embrace 17 crashes and 5 reviews of attainable site visitors legislation violations, in keeping with the NHTSA.
Regardless of these points, Waymo has continued to increase its robotaxi providers. Final week, the corporate expanded its service in Phoenix, its largest service space. Waymo added 90 sq. miles (233 sq. km) to what was already its largest service space in metropolitan Phoenix.
Waymo mentioned its riders can now take pleasure in Waymo One service throughout 315 sq. miles (815.8 sq. km) of the Valley. The expanded service space reaches additional into North Phoenix and so far as Desert Ridge. Its new service space covers extra of Scottsdale’s resorts and expands to downtown Mesa. This provides riders entry to abandon points of interest, golf programs, and downtown locations such because the Mesa Arts Middle and Pioneer Park.