(Tempe, AZ) ABC15
Earlier this morning a northbound Uber vehicle struck and killed a woman walking outside of a crosswalk.
The vehicle in question was in self-driving mode WITH an operator behind the wheel.
It was only a matter of time. This, however, is why there are supposed to be people that can take over while the autonomous software is running.
ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) and SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) are difficult tasks and we expect and require them to be safe before we deploy them — IF we deploy them. The reality is that a human may not always be able react fast enough for an intervention.
I’ve been saying for a long time that the liability of autonomous software is one of the things that will cause it to be a long time coming. (Another is the vast power usage — these cars are a long way from economical to drive. And of course the very high cost of the equipment.)
Long haul trucks on the interstate are a different matter — both in terms of cost and power budget but also in terms of a less challenging use case: No crosswalks on the interstate.
As long as the cost of insurance for driving the car yourself is LOWER than having the car DRIVE ITSELF, these things will only be an expensive (and dangerous) sport.