Amazon’s Zoox Recalls 105 Robotaxis After One Drove into Heavy Smoke at an Active Fire Scene
The unoccupied vehicle entered a Las Vegas fire scene obscured by smoke, then braked hard. The recall follows NHTSA’s directive on first responder interference.
Summary
Zoox recalled 105 robotaxes after one drove into smoke at a Las Vegas fire scene in June. No injuries were reported. This follows the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)’s directive regarding autonomous vehicles (AVs) interfering with first responders.
Key Details:
- Incident: An unoccupied Zoox robotaxis drove into heavy smoke at an active emergency fire scene in Las Vegas on June 20, attempting to steer away and braking hard before coming to a stop.
- Recall Action: Zoox voluntarily recalled software in 105 robotaxes. The vehicle was instructed to reverse by a remote employee after first responders placed traffic cones to block the area.
- NHTSA Directive: This recall comes after NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison demanded AV developers fix issues with first responder interference by the end of July, citing a pattern of AVs driving into emergency scenes and blocking ambulances.
- Previous Recalls: Zoox has issued several software recalls for lane crossings, vehicle movement prediction, and pedestrian detection in previous years. Waymo also recalled robotaxes last month due to similar issues.
- Industry Challenge: Autonomous vehicles struggle with unpredictable situations like emergency scenes, highlighting the need for better edge case handling.
Background:
Zoox operates driverless buggies without steering wheels or pedals in Las Vegas, San Francisco, Miami, Austin, and several other US cities, aiming to catch up with Waymo’s national fleet of 4,000 automated vehicles. Amazon acquired Zoox for $1.3 billion in 2020.
By Darius Popa, Technology Enthusiast and Intern at The Next Web