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Uber Resumes Testing Self-Driving Cars Nine Months After Deadly Crash (theverge.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the let's-try-this-again dept.

Nine months after an Uber self-driving car struck and killed pedestrian Elaine Herzberg in Tempe, Arizona, Uber has decided that it's time to resume testing its self-driving cars on public roads. The company received a letter from Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation authorizing it to restart its program, although it will be massively scaled back from the one it had last year. The Verge reports: For the time being, Uber's self-driving Volvo SUVs will be confined to a one-mile loop around Pittsburgh's Strip District, where the company's Advanced Technologies Group (ATG) is headquartered. Only two vehicles are being tested for now, though more will be added. The cars won't exceed the posted speed limit of 25 mph, and will have two safety drivers in them at all times -- Uber calls them "mission specialists." For now, the cars aren't picking up any passengers. A spokesperson for Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said since Uber has "accepted established state guidelines, demonstrated transparency, and conformed to our expectations in addressing the unique conditions of a complex urban environment, the city is satisfied that self-driving testing operations by Uber will not introduce an increased level of safety risk in Pittsburgh," the spokesperson said.

16 of 32 comments (clear)

  1. TWO drivers by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

    Wow, these "self-driving" cars will have TWO drivers in them. Thats gotta be a new record. I love AI and autonomous driving.

    1. Re:TWO drivers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Wait, it's still an Uber... so which driver is the rapist? How does the AI know when to kick it into rape-assist or Heaven-view?

    2. Re:TWO drivers by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      Did you see the coal engine in the back?

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
  2. "Two safety drivers" by hwihyw · · Score: 1

    is that like having 2 collision avoidance systems, Uber's and Volvo's, and not disabling Volvo's system, instead of solely relying on Ubers beta product to not run someone over?
            https://www.autonews.com/artic...

  3. How much was Uber fined? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    $100 million? $150 million?

  4. Uber Resumes Testing Self-Driving Cars Nine Months by grep+-v+'.*'+* · · Score: 1

    Well of course. They're replaced both the car and the person they killed. Damaged mitigated; it's all good now.

    --
    If the universe is someone's simulation -- does that mean the stars are just stuck pixels?
  5. It’s the “Get Smart” approach by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 5, Funny

    Chief: Max, we had a safety driver in the car and still hit a pedestrian.

    Max: Here’s an idea, Chief. How about we have TWO safety drivers? That way if one’s distracted, the other can take over!

    Chief: Max, what if they both get distracted?

    Max: (pause) Okay... how about THREE safety drivers, Chief?

    (the Chief remains unconvinced, and the discussion continues)

    .
    .
    .

    Chief (later that evening, during the test): I don’t know, Larabee. I’m worried. Maybe I should’ve went with Max’s plan.

    Larabee: What plan was that, Chief?

    Chief: The one with 99 safety drivers.

    --
    #DeleteChrome
  6. make America great! by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

    Now corporations own the streets and, oh, the right to conduct a homicide. Wonderful, part of making America great again!

    --
    Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    1. Re:make America great! by liquid_schwartz · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Now corporations own the streets and, oh, the right to conduct a homicide. Wonderful, part of making America great again!

      Roughly 3000 people die *every month* currently. We can improve on that and should keep trying to. Learn from mistakes yes but keep trying.

    2. Re:make America great! by Dunbal · · Score: 1

      Roughly 3000 people die *every month* currently. We can improve on that and should keep trying to.

      Next month let's go for 3500!

      --
      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    3. Re:make America great! by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      Ok but these companies should explain exactly how the improvement is going to happen because right now they are nowhere close.

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
  7. You are not understanding the roles here by SuperKendall · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wow, these "self-driving" cars will have TWO drivers in them.

    One is for watching the road. The other is an Uber lawyer with a briefcase filled with $100 bills and release forms.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:You are not understanding the roles here by radarskiy · · Score: 1

      TFW Silicon Valley recreates a Portlandia skit (thinking of the trampoline vendor with the legal department offering blanket million dollar settlements over the phone)

  8. They knew about the problem by Mikkeles · · Score: 1

    There was even a memo about Uber's self driving cars hitting a lot of things before the killing.

    --
    Great minds think alike; fools seldom differ.
  9. distributed responsibility by reanjr · · Score: 1

    This is textbook distributed responsibility. The likelihood of any agent acting to address a problem is inversely proportional to the number of agents who are responsible for a problem.

  10. I hate to defend Uber but.. by JThundley · · Score: 1

    I hate to defend Uber, but I really feel like they carry a very small part of the blame in this. Sure, there was a memo about the automated cars hitting things, but isn't that exactly the problem they're trying to fix? They're putting their cars through real-world tests to improve that, with human operators present in case the automated system fails.

    Isn't this the same thing we do with airplanes? Autopilot automates much of the flight, with a couple pilots present in case the automated system fails. On those rare occasions that it fails, the autopilot software makers don't get sued. Instead we look into why the pilot failed to do their job.

    In this case, we know exactly why the driver didn't do their job. We have video of her shirking her responsibilities and watching videos instead of the road.