Uber Revamps Approach to Autonomous Vehicle Testing
For the first four months following the tragic autonomous Uber car accident that killed one pedestrian in Arizona, the company’s driver-less vehicle technology was extracted from public roads. Arizona state governor Doug Ducey banned Uber from testing any more vehicles in the state, Uber did not renew their testing permit for California, and they pulled their cars off the roads in Pittsburgh. However, it was recently publicly announced that Uber’s autonomous vehicles would be returning to Pittsburgh. It is worth noting that their return is marked by one condition: the vehicles will be functioning manually (human-driven). What this means is that, for now, their cars will only be on the road to collect data for mapping and training purposes.
Uber Takes on Safety Review
To facilitate a safe return to the public roads, Uber has taken on a wholesale safety review program with the help of aviation expert Christopher Hart. The bigger picture of this review – whether Uber can safely put this type of technology back on roadways – has yet to be determined. However, Uber has already addressed one main piece of its smart technology: the humans that assist in the vehicle’s learning process.
In May, the National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report of the Uber car accident, noting that the software inside the autonomous Uber vehicle had failed to properly recognize Elaine Herzberg when she crossed the road. Another fault of Uber was their reliance on a perfectly attentive operator that would be able to step in if the system made a mistake. As more than 90 percent of accidents are caused by human error, we know that it is easy to make a small mistake that catapults into a large disaster.
Drastic Changes for Uber’s Self-Driving Cars
Uber announced some changes that will be relevant to the human attention issue, in addition to bringing the company up to the current safety standards of the industry. They also laid off all their safety drivers and started the hiring process for a new “Mission Specialist” role. Prior to the fatal pedestrian accident, the company only designated one operator to monitor the road and their AV technology. Now, each car will contain two mission specialists. One person will be expected to monitor the road while behind the wheel, and another person in the passenger seat to assess the software’s operations and decision making.
Additionally, Uber installed a driver monitoring system into testing vehicles. More specifically, they are using a camera behind the head of the wheel so it will face the operator to monitor their position. Uber stated that the camera is expected to be able to tell when a driver’s head is not facing the road. In other words, if an operator is looking down at his or her phone, the camera will record this. If such a movement is detected by the system, it will emit a very loud beep. At the same time, an off-site mission specialist will receive a notification that a driver’s attention is diverting. The off-site specialist will then be able to channel into a live feed of what’s going on inside the vehicle.
With all these new safety features and a safety review program, it appears that Uber is taking a step in the right direction. While we are all wondering if they will catch up to the other companies testing autonomous vehicles, only time will tell.
Sacramento Self Driving Car Accident Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Self Driving Car Accident Lawyer. Autonomous vehicle technology is rapidly evolving, but these cars are still new to public roads. If you have been injured by a self-driving car, it is crucial to speak with a seasoned injury lawyer. I can be reached at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly advice.
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Uber Revamps Approach to Autonomous Vehicle Testing: AutoAccident.com
Image: By “Dan Gold” – Unsplash / Uber Revamps Approach to Autonomous Vehicle Testing.
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