Autonomous vehicles, often presented as the mobility solution of the future, sometimes experience setbacks that are surprising. Recently, an autonomous taxi from the Waymo company was filmed performing 37 consecutive laps in a roundaboutunable to get out. This unusual but worrying incident rekindles the debate on the reliability of these technologies intended to revolutionize our travel. Should we be concerned about sophisticated systems stumbling over such simple scenarios? A look back at an incident that turns heads… and algorithms.
A robotaxi caught in an infinite loop
It’s a scene that seems straight out of a comedy film, but it actually happened. A Waymo autonomous taxi, based on a Jaguar I-Pace, has racked up no less than 37 consecutive laps in a roundaboutunable to find an exit. The incident, filmed by a passerby, quickly made the rounds on social networks, triggering as much laughter as concern.
The taxi, used as part of Waymo’s tests, operated in fully autonomous mode, without a driver or passenger on board. Despite the absence of traffic in the roundabout, the vehicle’s algorithm failed to leave this repetitive loop, highlighting a weakness in decision-making in even simple situations..
A symptomatic dysfunction?
Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet (parent company of Google), is often presented as a leader in the field of autonomous vehicles. With thousands of kilometers traveled in autonomous driving, the company has proven its know-how. However, this incident is a reminder that even the most advanced systems can falter.
Why 37 rpm? The most likely hypotheses include:
- A faulty algorithm : The decision-making system did not identify a clear exit from the roundabout.
- A sensor problem : If the cameras or LIDAR did not correctly interpret the environment, the vehicle could have become stuck.
- A lack of redundancy : Backup protocols or remote monitoring appear not to have worked as expected.
This incident highlights a key issue with autonomous vehicles: their ability to handle unforeseen scenarios. If the taxi had had a passenger, the situation could have been much more embarrassing.
The implications for the future of autonomous taxis
The autonomous taxi concept is based on a key promise: to simplify travel while guaranteeing maximum safety. However, bugs like this raise questions about the true state of the technology:
1. Reliability of algorithms : How can we guarantee that such incidents will not happen again?
2. Social acceptability : Each incident undermines public confidence in these technologies.
3. Security : If such a simple problem escapes an autonomous system, what about complex scenarios in full traffic?
Waymo, like its competitors, will have to redouble its efforts to demonstrate that their vehicles can respond to all unforeseen events, even the most improbable. If Waymo remains an undisputed leader in the field, this episode highlights that the road to total autonomy is strewn with pitfalls. Artificial intelligence must not only respond to classic scenarios, but also anticipate unforeseen situations like this. Each failure, however anecdotal, represents a potential obstacle to the adoption of this revolutionary technology.
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