A driver crashed a test car earlier this month from Cruise Automation, a startup that makes an autopilot system that can be added to existing cars, following a tricky hand off from computer to human.
The Jan. 8 crash in San Francisco brings to light several things. It demonstrates one of the biggest challenges to semi-autonomous systems: Bringing a driver back into control after the computer has been driving. It also points to Cruise taking a new direction with its technology. Its original system worked only on the highway. The one being tested, on an electric Nissan Leaf, was in a much more challenging city environment.
The accident occurred at 1:48 p.m. near 7th Street and Bryant Street in San Francisco. According to an accident report filed with the California Department of Motor Vehicles[2] by Cruise, the Leaf, while in autonomous mode going about 20 mph, started to drift left in its lane and then corrected to the right. The driver took control of the wheel, but after doing so ran into a parked Toyota[3] Prius with no occupants.
California requires companies testing autonomous vehicles in the state to file accident reports with the DMV. Alphabet[4] Inc.'s Google also reports accidents of its autonomous vehicles[5].
The accident report doesn't say why the accident occurred after the driver took over. But it can take several seconds for drivers to take control of a vehicle and when they do, there is a moment of disorientation or confusion about whether the machine or human is actually in control. That makes it one of the thorniest problems facing auto makers as they roll out systems that can handle steering in some, but not all, situations.
University of South Carolina law professor Bryant Walker Smith, who wrote a book-length paper on the legality of autonomous vehicles, calls this the "mushy middle" of autonomy. Engineers at Ford Motor[6] Co., which have been skeptical of systems that can switch back and forth between humans and computers, have frequently cited the hand off problem as one that has pushed them to focus on full autonomy, much like Google's efforts.
Cruise Automation, founded by Kyle Vogt, created a retrofit system[7] for late-model Audi[8] A4 and S4 sedans called RP-1 that could be purchased for $10,000 and were supposed to be installed last year in a limited run. That system was meant for highways, not city environments, and likely was different from what the Leaf was using.
Mr. Vogt, reached by e-mail, declined to comment on what Cruise is testing, or whether the RP-1 products have been installed as planned, but he verified that he driver of the car caused the accident.
Cruise received $12.5 million in venture funding in September.
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References
- ^ Nissan (www.wsj.com)
- ^ According to an accident report filed with the California Department of Motor Vehicles (dmv.ca.gov)
- ^ Toyota (www.wsj.com)
- ^ Alphabet (www.wsj.com)
- ^ Google also reports accidents of its autonomous vehicles (www.wsj.com)
- ^ Ford Motor (www.wsj.com)
- ^ created a retrofit s ystem (www.getcruise.com)
- ^ Audi (www.wsj.com)
- ^ follow @wsjd (twitter.com)
- ^ like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com)
- ^ delivered rig ht to your inbox (online.wsj.com)
- ^ visit WSJ.D (www.wsjd.com)
- ^ add our XML feed (online.wsj.com)
