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Volvo Cars and Uber join forces to develop autonomous driving cars

Uber doesn't accept the greatest reputation when it comes to self-driving car safety, having been unceremoniously kicked out of San Francisco in 2022, and scaling dorsum its tests in 2022 after a crash in Arizona. In the virtually recent incident, an Uber examination vehicle, in democratic style with a safety driver behind the wheel, struck and killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Ariz., marking what seems to be the first known instance of that happening. The incident was reported at 10pm, and then information technology was at nighttime.

At that place is not nearly plenty data to draw conclusions. But the known facts that the machine was in democratic mode and struck a pedestrian are dissentious to Uber. They as well don't assistance the case for self-driving cars in the minds of the public. Uber has halted all of its self-driving tests on public roads in response, and the NTSB is sending a team to investigate. Supporters of deploying democratic vehicles will indicate out that mile-for-mile they take actually been relatively safe (at least with a prophylactic driver behind the cycle).

However, that won't finish a frenzy of "I told you so" comments from naysayers. Before we blitz to judgment, though, at that place are some key facts that need to be sorted out. In the case of the human being killed while driving his Tesla in autonomous fashion, it was months before all the facts were in, and there are still some open questions. Hopefully this incident will get clarified sooner than that, just here are the questions we need answered first:

What Virtually the Vehicle Safety Systems?

There is a corking bargain of confusion near the role of various automated systems in a machine. Several times, including the infamous Tesla fatality in Florida, "autonomous" features have been blamed. However, both the Tesla and likely the Uber car in this case, are equipped with much more standard collision abstention systems that are designed to restriction before they hit something. And then conspicuously the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) organisation needs to exist looked at in this case.

How Did the Safety Driver React?

I actually don't envy the job of existence a safe commuter. You lot need to sit down behind the bicycle ready to take over mile after mile, but might spend long periods of fourth dimension doing nothing. Then you might only have a second or ii to all of a sudden re-engage with the vehicle and take corrective action. This upshot is office of why some like Google and Cruise take argued that sometimes-automated vehicles aren't really the way to go, and that we demand complete Level 5 autonomy (where the automobile doesn't ever demand a human) to ensure safe. Of course, information technology needs to really work!

Forth with how the particular condom driver involved behaved in this state of affairs, information technology'll be of import to look at Uber'south policies for training and evaluating its drivers, likewise as the rules they provide for safe operation of the vehicle.

What Role Did the Pedestrian Play?

Overhead signs present a challenge for autopilot systemsI reason pedestrian fatalities are on the rise appears to be distracted walkers. Smartphones are the chief new culprit, simply every bit they are for drivers. Now, that isn't an alibi for hit someone, only equally anyone who drives knows, if someone of a sudden dashes out in front of you, your options are pretty express. The woman who was killed was also not in the crosswalk, although certainly that's a common-plenty do that an autonomous vehicle should be able to deal with it.

Is It Self-Driving or Is It Uber?

Any crash involving a potentially-autonomous vehicle generates a lot of interest and early headlines, along with Twitter feeds total of experts theorizing on what happened. But in this instance, like the others, we'll need to get some key questions answered before any real conclusions can exist drawn. Some of those conclusions may change the mode we regulate the testing and deployment of self-driving vehicles. If, for instance, in that location are issues in Uber's policies or procedures that contributed to the crash, then they'll likely outcome in tighter regulation and enforcement. Since self-driving cars are heavily instrumented, including carrying multiple cameras, hopefully there will be enough information to get to the bottom of the incident fairly quickly.