Zoox recalls software after autonomous vehicles cross lanes
▼ Summary
– Zoox issued a voluntary software recall for 332 vehicles due to an autonomous driving issue causing lane crossings near intersections or crosswalk blockages.
– The issue, which increased crash risk but caused no collisions, was identified in 62 instances between August 26 and December 5.
– Specific maneuvers included vehicles stopping in crosswalks to avoid blocking intersections or making wide turns that crossed into opposing lanes.
– Zoox deployed software updates in November and December to address the root causes and has been in ongoing conversations with the NHTSA.
– This is one of several software recalls for Zoox this year, including others for unexpected hard braking and predicting other road users’ movements.
The autonomous vehicle company Zoox, owned by Amazon, has initiated a voluntary software recall following the discovery of a potential safety issue. The recall, which impacts 332 vehicles, was filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) after the company identified instances where its driverless cars crossed over the center lane line near intersections or stopped within crosswalks. While no collisions have been linked to the behavior, Zoox acknowledged the incidents could elevate the risk of a crash. The company operates a public robotaxi service in specific areas of San Francisco and Las Vegas.
A company spokesperson explained that the maneuvers, while sometimes typical for human drivers, did not align with Zoox’s stringent operational standards. In one scenario, a vehicle might stop in a crosswalk to avoid blocking an intersection at a red light. In another, a late turn could result in the vehicle making an overly wide arc. The initial event triggering the investigation occurred on August 26, when a Zoox robotaxi executed a wide right turn, partially entered the opposing lane, and came to a temporary stop facing oncoming traffic.
Following that incident, Zoox reviewed its operational data and found 62 similar occurrences of lane crossings near intersections between late August and early December. The company stated it has been in ongoing discussions with NHTSA regarding the frequency, severity, and underlying causes of these events. To resolve the problems, Zoox deployed software updates on November 7 and again in mid-December. The recall formally covers vehicles operating on public roads between March 13 and December 18 of this year.
Transparency and safety are foundational to Zoox, according to a company statement, which emphasized the voluntary recall as part of its commitment to being open with the public and regulators. The statement confirmed that targeted software improvements have been successfully deployed to address the root causes. This marks the latest in a series of software recalls for Zoox in 2024. Earlier this year, the company issued a recall in March to correct unexpected hard braking, a move that followed an NHTSA preliminary investigation prompted by reports of two rear-end collisions involving motorcycles.
Subsequently, in May, Zoox filed two additional software recalls to enhance its system’s ability to accurately predict the movements of other road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists. These recurring updates highlight the complex, iterative process of developing and refining fully autonomous driving technology in real-world environments.
(Source: TechCrunch)
