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By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Common Motors’ robotaxi unit Cruise LLC is recalling the automated driving software program in 300 autos after one in every of its driverless autos crashed into the again of a San Francisco bus.
The March 23 collision was the fault of a software program error in a Cruise automated automobile (AV) that inaccurately predicted the motion of an articulated San Francisco Municipal Transit Authority bus, Cruise stated on Friday. The crash precipitated reasonable injury to the Cruise however didn’t lead to any accidents.
Cruise in a Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) submitting on Friday stated the software program was up to date on March 25 to handle considerations that the system “might inaccurately predict the motion of articulated autos corresponding to buses and tractor trailers.”
“Fender benders like this not often occur to our AVs, however this incident was distinctive,” Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt stated in a weblog publish. “We don’t count on our autos to run into the again of a metropolis bus below any situations, so even a single incident like this was worthy of speedy and cautious examine.”
Cruise in a separate submitting with California stated the automobile was touring on Haight Road when a bus stopped forward of it and the Cruise struck the rear bumper.
Vogt stated, “The bus’s conduct was affordable and predictable. It pulled out right into a lane of site visitors from a bus cease after which got here to a cease. Though our automotive did brake in response, it utilized the brakes too late and rear-ended the bus at about 10 mph.”
The driverless automobile’s view of the bus’s entrance part grew to become absolutely blocked because the bus pulled out in entrance of the AV.
“Because the AV had beforehand seen the entrance part and acknowledged that the bus might bend, it predicted that the bus would transfer as related sections with the rear part following the expected path of the entrance part,” Vogt stated, including that it was the one crash of its sort that the corporate has skilled.
Cruise stated after the replace it decided the crash wouldn’t recur.
Cruise in September disclosed that it recalled and up to date software program in 80 self-driving autos after a June crash in San Francisco that left two individuals injured.
NHTSA final 12 months stated the software program might “incorrectly predict” an oncoming automobile’s path.
NHTSA in December opened a proper security probe into the Cruise autonomous driving system after it obtained studies of incidents wherein self-driving Cruise autos “might interact in inappropriately arduous braking or grow to be immobilized.”