Service Halted During Blackout on the 20th
Operations Suspended Again Despite Software Update
Waymo, Google's autonomous robotaxi service, has once again suspended operations due to a flood warning, despite a recent software update. Previously, Waymo had halted its service in the western United States following a power outage.
According to CNBC on the 25th (local time), Waymo temporarily suspended its robotaxi service in the San Francisco Bay Area on this day. Waymo announced through its app, "Service has been temporarily suspended due to a flood warning from the National Weather Service (NWS)."
Waymo also suspended its robotaxi service during the San Francisco blackout on the 20th. At that time, the power outage caused traffic lights to stop functioning, and the autonomous robotaxis, which operate without human drivers, stopped at intersections, leading to traffic congestion.
The robotaxis are programmed to request confirmation from headquarters and follow instructions in unexpected situations where traffic lights are not working. When a large-scale power outage occurred, a flood of confirmation requests caused operational delays.
Afterward, Waymo conducted a software update for all currently operating robotaxi vehicles. At the time, Waymo explained, "With this update, we will further refine intersection crossing scenarios in a variety of situations."
Currently, Waymo provides robotaxi services in five cities: San Francisco, Los Angeles (LA), Atlanta, Phoenix, and Austin. It is expected that the service area will be significantly expanded starting next year.
Some experts are calling for stricter safety regulations before expanding robotaxi services. Jeffrey Tumlin, former director of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), pointed out, "Operators need to have plans and actual performance data on how robotaxis will operate during emergencies such as power outages, floods, or earthquakes."
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