Coches autónomos

[Cadavre Exquis]

A pesar del largo camino que queda por delante hasta que la tecnología , es evidente que el coche autónomo es ya una realidad.

He decidido crear este nuevo hilo con el objetivo de reunir en él todas las noticias que vayan apareciendo en relación con este nuevo medio de transporte.

Aunque todos conocemos ya los famosos seis niveles de autonomía, traigo al hilo algunas de las páginas del estandard J3016-202104 creado por la SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) en la que define Taxonomía y definiciones de términos relacionados con los sistemas de automatización de la conducción para vehículos de motor en carretera.

Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to Driving Automation Systems for On-Road Motor Vehicles J3016_202104

This document describes [motor] vehicle driving automation systems that perform part or all of the dynamic driving task (DDT) on a sustained basis. It provides a taxonomy with detailed definitions for six levels of driving automation, ranging from no driving automation (Level 0) to full driving automation (Level 5), in the context of [motor] vehicles (hereafter also referred to as “vehicle” or “vehicles”) and their operation on roadways:

• Level 0:
  No Driving Automation
• Level 1:
  Driver Assistance
• Level 2:
  Partial Driving Automation
• Level 3:
  Conditional Driving Automation
• Level 4:
  High Driving Automation
• Level 5:
  Full Driving Automation

These level definitions, along with additional supporting terms and definitions provided herein, can be used to describe the full range of driving automation features equipped on [motor] vehicles in a functionally consistent and coherent manner. “On-road” refers to publicly accessible roadways (including parking areas and private campuses that permit public access) that collectively serve all road users, including cyclists, pedestrians, and users of vehicles with and without driving automation features.

The levels apply to the driving automation feature(s) that are engaged in any given instance of on-road operation of an equipped vehicle. As such, although a given vehicle may be equipped with a driving automation system that is capable of delivering multiple driving automation features that perform at different levels, the level of driving automation exhibited in any given instance is determined by the feature(s) that are engaged.

This document also refers to three primary actors in driving: the (human) user, the driving automation system, and other vehicle systems and components. These other vehicle systems and components (or the vehicle in general terms) do not include the driving automation system in this model, even though as a practical matter a driving automation system may actually share hardware and software components with other vehicle systems, such as a processing module(s) or operating code.

The levels of driving automation are defined by reference to the specific role played by each of the three primary actors in performance of the DDT and/or DDT fallback. “Role” in this context refers to the expected role of a given primary actor, based on the design of the driving automation system in question and not necessarily to the actual performance of a given primary actor. For example, a driver who fails to monitor the roadway during engagement of a Level 1 adaptive cruise control (ACC) system still has the role of driver, even while s/he is neglecting it.

Active safety systems, such as electronic stability control (ESC) and automatic emergency braking (AEB), and certain types of driver assistance systems, such as lane keeping assistance (LKA), are excluded from the scope of this driving automation taxonomy because they do not perform part or all of the DDT on a sustained basis, but rather provide momentary intervention during potentially hazardous situations. Due to the momentary nature of the actions of active safety systems, their intervention does not change or eliminate the role of the driver in performing part or all of the DDT, and thus are not considered to be driving automation, even though they perform automated functions. In addition, systems that inform, alert, or warn the driver about hazards in the driving environment are also outside the scope of this driving automation taxonomy, as they neither automate part or all of the DDT, nor change the driver’s role in performance of the DDT (see 8.13).

It should be noted, however, that crash avoidance features, including intervention-type active safety systems, may be included in vehicles equipped with driving automation systems at any level. For automated driving system (ADS) features (i.e., Levels 3 to 5) that perform the complete DDT, crash mitigation and avoidance capability is part of ADS functionality (see also 8.13).

●●●

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Gartner Hype Cycle Reveals Rising Adoption and Fast-Growing Market for Advanced Mobile Robots for Supply Chains
STAMFORD, Conn., November 12, 2024

Focus on Artificial Intelligence and Automation Driving Innovation of Mobile Robotics in Supply Chain

Several mobile robotics technologies for supply chains will mature within the next two to five years, creating an accelerating market for increasingly capable mobile robots and drones, according to Gartner, Inc.

Gartner’s Hype Cycle for Mobile Robots and Drones is a graphical depiction of a common pattern that arises with each new technology or other innovation through five phases of maturity and adoption. Chief supply chain officers can use this research to find robotic solutions that meet their needs.

Technologies that have passed the Trough of Disillusionment and are progressing on the Slope of Enlightenment include: autonomous mobile robots for transport, collaborative in-aisle picking robots and mobile robotic goods to person systems (see Figure 1). The progression points to the benefits of these technologies becoming more widely understood.

“As organizations look to further improve logistic operations, support automation and augment humans in various jobs, supply chain leaders have turned to mobile robots to support their strategy,” said Dwight Klappich, VP Analyst and Gartner Fellow with the Gartner Supply Chain practice. “Mobile robots are continuing to evolve, becoming more powerful and practical, thus paving the way for continued technology innovation.”

Figure 1: Hype Cycle for Mobile Robots and Drones, 2024

Source: Gartner (November 2024)

Expanding Use of Automation and AI-Enabled Systems

On the rise this year are automation and AI solutions, such as autonomous data collection and inspection technologies, which are approaching the Peak of Inflated Expectations and expected to deliver benefits over the next five to 10 years.

Leveraging indoor-flying drones and mobile robots to autonomously capture data, the solutions use technologies like AI-enabled vision or RFID to supplement time-consuming inventory management, inspection and surveillance tasks. The technology can also alleviate safety concerns that arise in warehouses, such as workers counting inventory in hard-to-reach places.

“Automating labor-intensive tasks can provide notable benefits,” added Klappich. “With AI capabilities increasingly embedded in mobile robots and drones, the potential to function unaided and adapt to environments will make it possible to support a growing number of use cases.”

Humanoid Robots Demonstrate Potential for Further Automation

This year, humanoid robots have entered the Innovation Trigger on the Hype Cycle and are expected to have a transformational impact on supply chain. However, mainstream adoption may take 10 years or more.

Exploiting the human form factor and powered by AI, this generation of humanoid robots is striving to achieve the adaptability of the human workforce, flexibly supporting the needs of the business by dynamically moving between processes and taking on new activities without special programming.

“For supply chains with high-volume and predictable processes, humanoid robots have the potential to enhance or supplement the supply chain workforce,” Klappich noted. “However, while the pace of innovation is encouraging, the industry is years away from general-purpose humanoid robots being used in more complex retail and industrial environments.”

Gartner clients can read more in: Hype Cycle for Mobile Robots and Drones, 2024. Nonclients can learn more in: Supply Chain AI.

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Where Can You Order a Robotaxi?
Katharina Buchholz · 202.10.10

Self-driving cars - in real-world applications as of now limited to robotaxis - are simultaneously existing and scary as technological and ethical implications around the subject are plentiful and recent accidents - for example of a Cruise robotaxi in San Francisco - have caused some hesitation among lawmakers and the public.

While aformentioned Cruise by GM has suspended operations in six U.S. cities after the October incident, competitor Waymo by Alphabet is still operating limited public operations of driverless taxis in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and new-addition Austin, Texas. A Las Vegas service by Motional was suspended in May.

In Chinese cities, it is already somewhat more normal to be able to board a robotaxi (or robobus) as several operators are vying for dominance and have expanded fleets. Apollo Go by Chinese tech company Baidu, one of the larger operators, currently has as many as 400 robotaxis on the road in the city of Wuhan. Several companies are operating public trials and services in the cities of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing. Smaller cities are also being included by some companies and they are also often where companies launched their first trial services. While initial trials were often free and even on an application basis, new low fare structures for robotaxis in China have already ruffled feathers with taxi drivers.

While reassessing Cruise was supposed to service Dubai, Chinese provider WeRide has run a public trial in Abu Dhabi. Singapore has a robobus service by the same company.

Many current robotaxis are limited to specific areas, times of day or distances and might have a remote safety operator, who under Chinese law can look after as many as three taxis. Some operations in China also include on-board safety drivers, which are present but are not needed for any specific maneuvers of the vehicle.

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Should Waymo Robotaxis Always Stop For Pedestrians In Crosswalks?
Posted by EditorDavid on Saturday January 04, 2025 @06:41PM from the don't-walk dept.

"My feet are already in the crosswalk," says Geoffrey A. Fowler, a San Francisco-based tech columnist for the Washington Post. In a video he takes one step from the curb, then stops to see if Waymo robotaxis will stop for him. And they often didn't.

Waymo's position? Their cars consider "signals of pedestrian intent" including forward motion when deciding whether to stop — as well as other vehicles' speed and proximity. ("Do they seem like they're about to cross or are they just sort of milling around waiting for someone?") And Waymo "also said its car might decide not to stop if adjacent cars don't yield."

Fowler counters that California law says cars must always stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk. ("It's classic Silicon Valley hubris to assume Waymo's ability to predict my behavior supersedes a law designed to protect me.") And Phil Koopman, a Carnegie Mellon University professor who conducts research on autonomous-vehicle safety, agrees that the Waymos should be stopping. "Instead of arguing that they shouldn't stop if human drivers are not going to stop, they could conspicuously stop for pedestrians who are standing on road pavement on a marked crosswalk. That might improve things for everyone by encouraging other drivers to do the same."

From Fowler's video:
I tried

crossing in front of Waymos here more than 20 times. About three in ten times the Waymo would stop for me, but I couldn't figure out what made it change its mind. Heavy traffic vs light, crossing with two people, sticking one foot out — all would cause it to stop only sometimes. I could make it stop by darting out into the street — but that's not how my mama taught me to use a crosswalk...

Look, I know many human drivers don't stop for pedestrians either. But isn't the whole point of having artificial intelligence robot drivers that they're safer because they actually follow the laws?

Waymo would not admit breaking any laws, but acknowledged "opportunity for continued improvement in how it interacts with pedestrians."

In an article accompanying the video, Fowler calls it "a cautionary tale about how AI, intended to make us more safe, also needs to learn how to coexist with us."
Waymo cars don't behave this way at all intersections. Some friends report that the cars are too careful on quiet streets, while others say the vehicles are too aggressive around schools... No

Waymo car has hit me, or any other person walking in a San Francisco crosswalk — at least so far. (It did strike a cyclist earlier this year.) The company touts that, as of October, its cars have 57 percent fewer police-reported crashes compared with a human driving the same distance in the cities where it operates.

Other interesting details from the article:

• Fowler suggests a way his crosswalk could be made safer: "a flashing light beacon there could let me flag my intent to both humans and robots."
• The article points out that Waymo is also under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration "for driving in an unexpected and disruptive manner, including around traffic control devices (which includes road markings)."

At the same time, Fowler also acknowledges that "I generally find riding in a Waymo to be smooth and relaxing, and I have long assumed its self-driving technology is a net benefit for the city." His conclusion? "The experience has taught my family that the safest place around an autonomous vehicle is inside it, not walking around it."

And he says living in San Francisco lately puts him "in a game of chicken with cars driven by nothing but artificial intelligence."

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Man Trapped in Circling Waymo on Way to Airport
Posted by EditorDavid on Sunday January 05, 2025 @08:49PM from the I-love-L.A. dept.

It "felt like a Disneyland ride," reports CBS News. A man took a Waymo takes to the airport — only to discover the car "wouldn't stop driving around a parking lot in circles." And because the car was in motion, he also couldn't get out.

Still stuck in the car, Michael Johns — a tech-industry worker — then phoned Waymo for help. ("Has this been hacked? What's going on? I feel like I'm in the movies. Is somebody playing a joke on me?") But he also filmed the incident...

"Why is this thing going in a circle? I'm getting dizzy," Johns said in a video posted on social media that has since gone viral, garnering more than two million views and interactions....

The Waymo representative was finally able to get the car under control after a few minutes, allowing him to get to the airport just in time to catch his flight back to LA. He says that the lack of empathy from the representative who attempted to help him, on top of the point that he's unsure if he was talking to a human or AI, are major concerns. "Where's the empathy? Where's the human connection to this?" Johns said while speaking with CBS News Los Angeles. "It's just, again, a case of today's digital world. A half-baked product and nobody meeting the customer, the consumers, in the middle."

Johns, who ironically works in the tech industry himself, says he would love to see services like Waymo succeed, but he has no plans to hop in for a ride until he's sure that the kinks have been fixed. In the meantime, he's still waiting for someone from Waymo to contact him in regards to his concerns, which hasn't yet happened despite how much attention his video has attracted since last week.

"My Monday was fine till i got into one of Waymo 's 'humanless' cars," he posted on LinkedIn. "I get in, buckle up ( safety first) and the saga begins.... [T]he car just went around in circles, eight circles at that..."

A Waymo spokesperson admitted they'd added about five minutes to his travel time, but then "said the software glitch had since been resolved," reports the Los Angeles Times, "and that Johns was not charged for the ride."

One final irony? According to his LinkedIn profile, Johns is a CES Innovations Awards judge.

Saludos.

[Saturio]

Should Waymo Robotaxis Always Stop For Pedestrians In Crosswalks?
Posted by EditorDavid on Saturday January 04, 2025 @06:41PM from the don't-walk dept.

"My feet are already in the crosswalk," says Geoffrey A. Fowler, a San Francisco-based tech columnist for the Washington Post. In a video he takes one step from the curb, then stops to see if Waymo robotaxis will stop for him. And they often didn't.

Waymo's position? Their cars consider "signals of pedestrian intent" including forward motion when deciding whether to stop — as well as other vehicles' speed and proximity. ("Do they seem like they're about to cross or are they just sort of milling around waiting for someone?") And Waymo "also said its car might decide not to stop if adjacent cars don't yield."

Fowler counters that California law says cars must always stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk. ("It's classic Silicon Valley hubris to assume Waymo's ability to predict my behavior supersedes a law designed to protect me.") And Phil Koopman, a Carnegie Mellon University professor who conducts research on autonomous-vehicle safety, agrees that the Waymos should be stopping. "Instead of arguing that they shouldn't stop if human drivers are not going to stop, they could conspicuously stop for pedestrians who are standing on road pavement on a marked crosswalk. That might improve things for everyone by encouraging other drivers to do the same."

From Fowler's video:
I tried

crossing in front of Waymos here more than 20 times. About three in ten times the Waymo would stop for me, but I couldn't figure out what made it change its mind. Heavy traffic vs light, crossing with two people, sticking one foot out — all would cause it to stop only sometimes. I could make it stop by darting out into the street — but that's not how my mama taught me to use a crosswalk...

Look, I know many human drivers don't stop for pedestrians either. But isn't the whole point of having artificial intelligence robot drivers that they're safer because they actually follow the laws?

Waymo would not admit breaking any laws, but acknowledged "opportunity for continued improvement in how it interacts with pedestrians."

In an article accompanying the video, Fowler calls it "a cautionary tale about how AI, intended to make us more safe, also needs to learn how to coexist with us."
Waymo cars don't behave this way at all intersections. Some friends report that the cars are too careful on quiet streets, while others say the vehicles are too aggressive around schools... No

Waymo car has hit me, or any other person walking in a San Francisco crosswalk — at least so far. (It did strike a cyclist earlier this year.) The company touts that, as of October, its cars have 57 percent fewer police-reported crashes compared with a human driving the same distance in the cities where it operates.

Other interesting details from the article:

• Fowler suggests a way his crosswalk could be made safer: "a flashing light beacon there could let me flag my intent to both humans and robots."
• The article points out that Waymo is also under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration "for driving in an unexpected and disruptive manner, including around traffic control devices (which includes road markings)."

At the same time, Fowler also acknowledges that "I generally find riding in a Waymo to be smooth and relaxing, and I have long assumed its self-driving technology is a net benefit for the city." His conclusion? "The experience has taught my family that the safest place around an autonomous vehicle is inside it, not walking around it."

And he says living in San Francisco lately puts him "in a game of chicken with cars driven by nothing but artificial intelligence."

Saludos.

Qué problema más curioso. Sabemos que la IA incumple, por lo tanto permitimos que un determinado número de conductores robóticos incumplan. Sin embargo de los conductores humanos se supone que cumplen siempre hasta que se demuestre lo contrario.

[Cadavre Exquis]

https://www.pressreader.com/spain/expansion-nacional/20250108/page/12/textview

Nvidia busca liderar la IA en robótica y vehículos autónomos

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Waymo lands first Chinese EV in the US to beat Tesla Cybercab to the punch with Nvidia Thor-powered Zeekr RT
The first passenger vehicle that is purpose-built for autonomy from the ground up won't come in the US from Tesla but rather Waymo and Zeekr.

Daniel Zlatev, · 2025.01.09

First Chinese EV brand to make it in the US will be Waymo's RT robovan (Image source: Zeekr)

Waymo will score both the first mass-produced autonomous passenger vehicle and what might be the first electric vehicle from a Chinese company to officially make it to the US in numbers.

This became clear from Zeekr's CES 2025 expo announcements, where it revealed that the first robotic minivan built for autonomy from the ground up is based on its Mix passenger vehicle that has been on sale since October. It comes with 76 kWh battery and fast 13-minute charging, as well as numerous flexible seating and cargo configurations.

The Mix-based Zeekr RT (for Robotic Taxi) will also beat the Tesla Robovan that Elon Musk teased during the Cybercab unveiling event to the punch, joining the Waymo fleet of autonomous vehicles for testing en masse later this year. Tesla's Robovan, on the other hand, doesn't even have a release date, while the Cybercab only has a tentative one for 2026, so the Zeekr RT could be the only viable alternative in the US until then.

Zeekr is trying to make Waymo's approval process for putting the RT on public roads as smooth as possible by equipping it with redundant steering, braking, and power supply, as well as failsafe operation algorithms in the US. This is in stark contrast with the Cybercab that Tesla is now trying to get approved without a steering wheel, pedals, or charging port.

The Zeekr robotaxi display at the Petersen Automotive Museum, however, says that it plans to remove the steering wheel and pedals from Waymo's RT robovan when federal regulations allow it "in the future."

Besides being the first robotaxi in mass production, the RT will also be powered by the first custom vehicle autonomy kit that Zeekr based on the new Nvidia Thor self-driving chip architecture. Nvidia says that the Thor Blackwell processor is capable of 1,000 TFLOPS of AI computing power, which can be flexibly distributed between self-driving and in-car infotainment duties according to the manufacturer's needs.

The Zeekr RT robovan is based on the $39,000 Zeekr Mix passenger minivan that it also brought to the ongoing CES 2025 expo in Las Vegas for all visitors to see and test.

Waymo's robovan by Zeekr would be the first Chinese EV brand to make it to the US

Zeekr plans to remove the steering wheel and pedals from Waymo's RT robovan when federal regulations allow it

Zeekr's custom self-driving domain controller with NVIDIA Thor AI chip

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Bad Week for Unoccupied Waymo Cars: One Hit in Fatal Collision, One Vandalized by Mob
Posted by EditorDavid on Sunday January 26, 2025 @04:52PM from the moving-violations dept.

For the first time in America, an empty self-driving car has been involved in a fatal collision. But it was "hit from behind by a speeding car that was going about 98 miles per hour," a local news site reports, citing comments from Waymo. ("Two other victims were taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. A dog also died in the crash, according to the San Francisco Fire Department.")

Waymo's self-driving car "is not being blamed," notes NBC Bay Area. Instead the Waymo car was one of six vehicles "struck when a fast-moving vehicle slammed into a line of cars stopped at a traffic light..."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requires self-driving car companies, like Waymo, to report each time their vehicles are involved in an accident, regardless of whether the autonomous vehicle was at fault. According to NHTSA, which began collecting such data in July 2021, Waymo's driverless vehicles have been involved in about 30 different collisions resulting in some type of injury. Waymo, however, has noted that nearly all those crashes, like Sunday's collision, were the fault of other cars driven by humans. While NHTSA's crash data doesn't note whether self-driving vehicles may have been to blame, Waymo has previously noted that it only expects to pay out insurance liability claims for two previous collisions involving its driverless vehicles that resulted in injuries.

In December, Waymo touted the findings of its latest safety analysis, which determined its fleet of driverless cars continue to outperform human drivers across major safety metrics. The report, authored by Waymo and its partners at the Swiss Reinsurance Company, reviewed insurance claim data to explore how often human drivers and autonomous vehicles are found to be liable in car collisions. According to the study, Waymo's self-driving vehicles faced about 90% fewer insurance claims relating to property damage and bodily injuries compared to human drivers... The company's fleet of autonomous vehicles have traveled more than 33 million miles and have provided more than five million rides across San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Austin...

In California, there are more than 30 companies currently permitted by the DMV to test driverless cars on the open road. While most are still required to have safety drivers sitting in the front seat who can take over when needed, Waymo remains the only fleet of robotaxis in California to move past the state's testing phase to, now, regularly offer paid rides to passengers.

Their article adds that while Sunday's collision marks the first fatal crash involving a driverless car, "it was nearly seven years ago when another autonomous vehicle was involved in a deadly collision with a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona, though that self-driving car had a human safety driver behind the wheel. The accident, which occurred in March 2018, involved an autonomous car from Uber, which sold off its self-driving division two years later to a competitor."

In other news, an unoccupied Waymo vehicle was attacked by a mob in Los Angeles last night, according to local news reports. "Video footage of the incident appears to show the vehicle being stripped of its door, windows shattered, and its Jaguar emblems removed. The license plate was also damaged, and the extent of the vandalism required the vehicle to be towed from the scene."

The Los Angeles Times reminds its readers that "Last year, a crowd in San Francisco's Chinatown surrounded a Waymo car, vandalized it and then set it ablaze..."

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Waymo's autonomous robotaxis are starting to merge onto LA freeways
For starters, only employees can take highway routes.

Anna Washenko · 2025.01.28

Waymo

Waymo posted on X today that it has opened fully autonomous rides on LA freeways to its employees. The company noted that this is a preliminary step toward bringing its vehicle fleet onto highways for all passengers in the city.

After getting approval to begin local robotaxi operation in March 2024, Waymo offered autonomous rides in LA at a small scale, with a waitlist for interested customers. In November, the waitlist ended so any Angelenos could call for a ride. But for a sprawling city like LA, having access to a highway is all but essential for getting around, so adding freeways to the cars' capability would mark a big improvement in how useful Waymo robotaxis will be there.

Waymo, which is owned by Google parent company Alphabet, has set its sights on its first international expansion. The business said it anticipates starting vehicle tests and mapping in Japan early this year. On the home front, Waymo is also slated to launch in Austin and Atlanta in early 2025.

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Waymo to test its driverless system in ten new cities in 2025
It starts in San Diego and Las Vegas.

Lawrence Bonk · 2025.01.29

Waymo

Waymo is planning on bringing vehicles to ten new cities in 2025, according to a report by The Verge. This new testing phase starts in Las Vegas and San Diego. These won’t be pure robotaxis, as they’ll have a manual operator.

It’s basically a small-scale experiment by the company to collect data and see how the self-driving system adapts to new locations, regional driving habits and unique weather patterns. All told, the company will be sending around ten vehicles to each new city. “So what we’re looking for is places that are going to challenge our system and look very, very different,” said Nick Rose, product manager for Waymo’s expansion efforts.

To that point, Las Vegas is known for dense traffic and plenty of chaos surrounding drop-off zones near hotels and casinos. San Diego is similar to locations in which the Alphabet-owned company already operates, like Phoenix, but it wants to validate that the system performs well “without having a ton of prior driving information.”

It plans on bringing the service to Miami, along with Austin and Atlanta. Waymo hasn’t announced the remaining cities, but the system sure could use more testing in some of the colder parts of the country. The company has done some winter testing in upstate New York and Michigan, but that's about it. It also recently announced it would start to test driverless cars in Tokyo, but we aren’t sure if that counts as one of the ten new cities.

It’s extremely important for the company to test in multiple cities. This is to account for unique traffic conditions and weather, of course, but also for inconsistencies that can trip up driverless systems. For instance, fire trucks and ambulances tend to look slightly different across cities and states. Waymo, after all, hasn’t always had the best track record when it comes to emergency vehicles.

This is just the latest move to ensure that driverless cars are ready for primetime. The company recently started bringing its robotaxis onto Los Angeles highways.

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Driverless Model Y Juniper and Model 3 set to launch paid Tesla robotaxi service in Texas
The robotaxi fleet will start testing Tesla's upcoming Cybercab ride-share platform in June to iron out its kinks before the general Model Y or Model 3 owning public can hop on and loan it their vehicles for money.

Daniel Zlatev · 2025.01.30

2026 Model Y may be part of Tesla's autonomous ride-share fleet (Image source: GeekLaii/Weibo)

When Elon Musk took the stage at the October 10 Cybercab unveiling event, he said that Tesla intends to bring unsupervised FSD this year as the basis for a robotaxi ride-share platform.

At the Q4 earnings call, he now pegged a release date for the launch of autonomous Teslas with no driver on public roads, or the so-called unsupervised FSD.

According to Elon Musk, Tesla will have a fleet of its own vehicles, likely consisting of the 2026 Model Y and the refreshed Model 3 that have HW4 kits, launch on the streets of Austin in June.

Like I said, the Teslas will be in the wild with no one in them, in June in Austin... And while we're stepping into - putting our toe in the water gently at first, just to make sure everything's cool, our solution is a generalized AI solution. It does not require high precision maps of a locality. So we just want to be cautious. It's not that it doesn't work beyond Austin. In fact, it does. We just want to be, put a toe in the water, make sure everything is okay, then put a few more toes in the water, then put a foot in the water with safety of the general public and those in the car as our top priority.

The Uber-like robotaxi ride-share service with Tesla owned and operated vehicles will then expand to California and across the US by the end of the year.

When Tesla is comfortable with the quality of its unsupervised FSD and ride-share platform, such as safety, daily hailing operations, and payment system, it will open the fleet to the general Tesla owning public next year, added Elon:

It'll be our fleet testing it. That's our sort of toe in the water. We'll be scrutinizing it very carefully and make sure it's not something we missed. But it will be, autonomous ride-hailing for money in Austin in June. And then as shortly as possible other cities in America. And I expect us to be operating, doing unsupervised activity with our internal fleet in several cities by the end of the year. Then it's probably next year when people are able to add or subtract their car from the fleet... And a lot of it is, it's not like we're not splitting the atom here. It's just a bunch of work that needs to be done to make sure the whole thing works efficiently, that people can order the car. It comes, it's the right spot, does exactly the right thing. All the payment systems work. The billing works.

Initially, Tesla said that it will launch unsupervised FSD for the Cybercab ride-share platform in Texas and California, as that is where there are either autonomous vehicle regulations already in place, or a lack thereof. It has evidently decided to introduce the pilot unsupervised FSD fleet in a place where there aren't too many rules about it, like Texas.

Tesla did a training session with first responders in Austin on how to react to autonomous vehicles without drivers in December, which was another hint that it had chosen Texas for the inaugural robotaxi platform launch.

The service will start with Tesla's own vehicles first, then add private cars of those who would be willing to loan them on the platform for anywhere between a few hours to a few months in 2026, and, finally, bring the Cybercab two-seater that has no steering wheel or pedals into the fold, ostensibly in 2026 as well.

Saludos.

[Saturio]

Tesla intends to bring unsupervised FSD this year as the basis for a robotaxi ride-share platform.

Tesla will have a fleet of its own vehicles, likely consisting of the 2026 Model Y and the refreshed Model 3 that have HW4 kits, launch on the streets of Austin in June.

Teslas will be in the wild with no one in them, in June in Austin... ]

The Uber-like robotaxi ride-share service with Tesla owned and operated vehicles will then expand to California and across the US by the end of the year.

, it will open the fleet to the general Tesla owning public next year,

 But it will be, autonomous ride-hailing for money in Austin in June.

..operating, doing unsupervised activity with our internal fleet in several cities by the end of the year.

 next year when people are able to add or subtract their car from the fleet...

Y para 2027 el servicio estará disponible en Marte.

[pollo]

Si es que la omnipresencia de los "test" ya da a entender que no se fían ni se pueden fiar.

Mientras tanto, alargan la beta indefinida dando a entender que tienen ya una fecha en la que podrán soltar los coches sin ninguna supervisión.

Es muy sencillo, si tuvieran lo que afirmaban que iban a tener, ya estaría funcionando en todos los putos sitios sin excepción y ya se habría pasado la fase de pruebas.

O dicho de otro modo: si se hubiesen acercado sólo un poco a lo que prometían, la fase de test ya se habría terminado hace cuatro años como mínimo.

Lo que ha ocurrido es que los vendemotos profesionales (en este caso los propios CEOs) subestimaron la dificultad del problema, y en una maniobra clásica que ya le sonará a los informáticos del foro, prometieron el producto ya terminado cuando los curritos (los matemáticos y programadores que son los que realmente tienen los conocimientos y tienen las neuronas, no los payasos con dinero que les mandan) ya les habían advertido que no sabían si lo tenían claro.

Eso y la mentalidad subnormal imperante de pensamiento mágico y de que todo se consigue a base de desearlo muy fuerte e ir al gimnasio y hacer maratones para demostrárselo, como si avanzar en problemas extremadamente complejos fuese cosa de ponerle voluntad y punto. Como disentir o discrepar (o simplemente ser realista) en este tipo de ambientes es poco menos que una herejía, todo el mundo dijo "ok" y ahora siguen remando con un paradigma que nunca va a dar lo que prometían.

Aquí no tienen el recurso de compensar las carencias usando un modelo que obtiene un 10% más de calidad a cambio de meter 200 veces más recursos, porque el coche tiene que manejarse localmente en todo momento. De hecho los chinos han demostrado que ese enfoque (meter más y más potencia a modelos más y más complejos puestos detrás de una barrera web de pago) es un callejón sin salida y que realmente están dando palos de ciego, que es lo que llevo sospechando desde que las promesas no llegaban a tiempo en ninguno de los casos.

Ese 5% del problema absolutamente crítico no tienen ni idea de cómo resolverlo.

Por otro lado, todas las empresas se salvaguardan el culo haciendo una trampa intelectual que da a entender la filfa de todo esto: cambiar la definición de AGI a la que ellos les conviene, para que no se note mucho que lo que llevan prometiendo años no se va a materializar con los LLM y demás técnicas similares.

Eso sí, para problemas concretos son la hostia (y siempre con un humano pensante que supervise). Pero es que lo de plegar moléculas no da titulares grandilocuentes.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Cruise To Slash Workforce By Nearly 50% After GM Cuts Funding To Robotaxi Operations
Posted by msmash on Tuesday February 04, 2025 @01:40PM from the tough-luck dept.

Autonomous vehicle company Cruise will lay off about half of its 2,100 employees and remove several top executives, including CEO Marc Whitten, as parent company General Motors shifts away from robotaxi development to focus on personal autonomous vehicles.

The cuts come two months after GM said it would stop funding Cruise's robotaxi program to [ur=https://tech.slashdot.org/story/24/01/31/1925213/cruise-faces-long-road-back-to-city-streets-in-wake-of-safety-reviewl]save $1 billion annually[/url]. Affected workers will receive severance packages including eight weeks of pay and benefits through April. The restructuring follows an October incident where a Cruise vehicle dragged a pedestrian, leading to the suspension of its permits.

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Un experimento sobre cómo los coches autónomos ayudarán a evitar los atascos
Por @Alvy — 8 de febrero de 2025

Jonathan Sprinkle | Self-driving cars experiment demonstrates dramatic improvements in traffic flow

Hace tiempo que la ciencia ha sido capaz de explicar una de las razones de los «misteriosos atascos» en las carreteras: la lenta reacción de los conductores propicia que se formen las aglomeraciones que no se resuelve a tiempo. Somos lentos en reaccionar cuando hay que frenar y somos lentos al arrancar. Esto propicia una especie de «efecto acordeón» o atasco de tráfico fantasma que crece y crece y que, como las ondas sobre la superficie de un lago, a la larga puede coincidir con tan mala suerte que deje a los vehículos literalmente parados.

Pero hete aquí que la llegada de los coches autónomos ha arrojado una nueva luz sobre cómo pueden resolver este tipo de problemas, en especial esos «atascos fantasma» sin razón aparente. Y es tan simple como añadir un coche autónomo en la ecuación.

En el experimento que puede verse en el vídeo –en el que colaboró un equipo multidisciplinar de cuatro universidades– se puede ver cómo se analizó todo esto: una veintena de coches circulan dando vueltas, casi como si estuvieran en una larga recta encontrándose con diversos escenarios de más o menos tráfico. Casi todos los coches están conducidos por «personas» simuladas, pero entre ellos hay un coche autónomo (marcado con la flecha) cuyo comportamiento y velocidad varía según su programación.

El algoritmo o fórmula en cuestión controla el vehículo de tal forma que minimiza las veces que el conductor humano que va detrás de él tiene que accionar el freno. Este es el origen del problema, de modo que una conducción más suave –aunque sea más lenta– ayuda a que la velocidad no tenga tantas bruscas variaciones. La gráfica inferior muestra la velocidad en el eje vertical y el tiempo en el horizontal: cuanto más amplias las variaciones, más problemas. Cuanto más estrecha y estable, mejor velocidad media.

En total se probaron diversos números de «frenazos», entre 2 y 9 por kilómetro. Cuando hay que frenar pocas veces también hay que volver a recuperar velocidad pocas veces, de modo que valores entre 2 y 3 veces por kilómetro son los óptimos. Esto no solo hace más fluido el tráfico: también reduce el consumo de combustible hasta un 40 por ciento.

Lo más interesante del asunto es que tan solo hace falta un coche de cada veinte (más o menos un cinco por ciento) para que la situación mejore considerablemente. Si esto es extrapolable –como parece– a las situaciones de tráfico convencional en las calles y carreteras significa que no será necesario que todos los coches sean autónomos; tan pronto como un número significativo de ellos circulen libremente deberían empezarse a notarse los efectos. Nuestros futuros amigos calculadores, metódicos y con reflejos dignos de cualquier deportista de élite también nos ayudarán en esto.

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Lyft Eyes Robotaxi Launch in 2026
Posted by msmash on Monday February 10, 2025 @11:44AM from the up-next dept.

Lyft says it will launch a fleet of robotaxis, using self-driving technology from Intel's Mobileye, in Dallas in "as soon as 2026," with plans to scale to "thousands" of vehicles in additional markets in the months to follow. From a report:

To signal its seriousness, the company tapped Marubeni, a Japanese conglomerate, to run fleet operations. Lyft's news comes after Uber dropped new details about its plan to feature Waymo's robotaxis on its platform in Austin and Atlanta later this year. And Tesla recently shared plans to launch a robotaxi service in Austin this summer.

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

China's BYD Adding 'High-Level' Self-Driving To Its Budget $10K EV
Posted by BeauHD on Monday February 10, 2025 @08:50PM from the market-disruption dept.

Chinese automaker BYD is offering its advanced "God's Eye" autonomous technology in mass-market EVs like the $9,500 Seagull, while expanding globally with government-backed EV initiatives. Gizmodo reports:

Previously, BYD had limited its driver assistance features to higher-end models that cost more than $28,000, according to BYD CEO Wang Chuanfu. In expanding the technology to the Seagull and other cars for no extra charge, Chuanfu said "good technology should be available to everyone." Other BYD vehicles getting the addition of the technology including cars from its Ocean, Han, Song, and Yuan lineups, as well as its hybrid vehicles. "God's Eye was developed in-house by BYD and will equip the automaker's mass-market models with features commonly only found on upscale EVs such as remote parking via smartphones and autonomous overtaking on roads," the company said.

BYD says the level of autonomy present in each car will vary depending on which sensors are equipped in the cars. Some of its pricier cars, for instance, include LiDAR sensors like those found in Waymos, which can offer faster and more precise object detection than cameras alone, particularly in low-light conditions or when a roadway is obstructed by rain or fog. [...] China's government has heavily prioritized the transition to electric vehicles with strong incentives, and BYD has managed to turn a profit on its electric vehicles, a feat that has heretofore only been accomplished by Tesla. The importance to China is clear: As the world continues transitioning to EVs, the likes of BYD have been able to push into markets including Europe and South America as Western brands lose share.

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

US Agency To Ease Self-Driving Vehicle Deployment Hurdles, Retain Reporting Rules
Posted by BeauHD on Thursday April 24, 2025 @09:30PM from the cutting-the-red-tape dept.

The Trump administration introduced a new framework to expedite self-driving vehicle deployment by reducing regulatory hurdles, while maintaining mandatory safety incident reporting. NHTSA is also expanding its exemption program, allowing domestically produced autonomous vehicles lacking traditional safety controls to operate on U.S. roads. Reuters reports:

The Trump administration said Thursday it aims to speed up the deployment of self-driving vehicles but will maintain rules requiring reporting of safety incidents involving advanced vehicles. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Thursday released a new framework to boost autonomous vehicles. "This administration understands that we're in a race with China to out-innovate, and the stakes couldn't be higher," Duffy said. "Our new framework will slash red tape."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it will expand a program to exempt some self-driving vehicles from all safety requirements and will streamline but continue its requirement that vehicles equipped with certain advanced driver assistance systems or self-driving systems report safety incidents. NHTSA is expanding its Automated Vehicle Exemption Program to now include domestically produced vehicles that will allow companies to operate non-compliant imported vehicles on U.S. roads. It is currently only open to foreign assembled models.

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Waymo Reports 250,000 Paid Robotaxi Rides Per Week In US
Posted by BeauHD on Thursday April 24, 2025 @10:10PM from the not-too-shabby dept.

Waymo is now providing over 250,000 paid robotaxi rides per week in the U.S., up from 200,000 in February, as it expands into cities like Austin and grows partnerships with Uber and automakers. CNBC reports:

"We can't possibly do it all ourselves," said Pichai on a call with analysts for Alphabet's first-quarter earnings. Pichai noted that Waymo has not entirely defined its long-term business model, and there is "future optionality around personal ownership" of vehicles equipped with Waymo's self-driving technology. The company is also exploring the ways it can scale up its operations, he said.

The 250,000 paid rides per week are up from 200,000 in February, before Waymo opened in Austin and expanded in the San Francisco Bay Area in March. Waymo, which is part of Alphabet's Other Bets segment, is already running its commercial, driverless ride-hailing services in the San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Austin regions.

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Waymo Says Its Driverless Cars Are Better Than Humans At Avoiding Crashes
Posted by BeauHD on Friday May 02, 2025 @09:00AM from the way-more-safety dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Teslarati:

Waymo Driver is already reducing severe crashes and enhancing the safety of vulnerable road users. As per a new research paper set for publication in the Traffic Injury Prevention Journal, Waymo Driver had outperformed human drivers in safety, particularly for vulnerable road users (VRUs). Over 56.7 million miles, compared to human drivers, Waymo Driver achieved a 92% reduction in pedestrian injury crashes. It also saw 82% fewer crashes with injuries with cyclists and 82% fewer crashes with injuries with motorcyclists. Waymo Driver also slashed injury-involving intersection crashes by 96%, which are a leading cause of severe road harm for human drivers. Waymo Driver saw 85% fewer crashes with suspected serious or worse injuries as well.

"It's encouraging to see real-world data showing Waymo outperforming human drivers when it comes to safety. Fewer crashes and fewer injuries -- especially for people walking and biking -- is exactly the kind of progress we want to see from autonomous vehicles," said Jonathan Adkins, Chief Executive Officer at Governors Highway Safety Association.

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

First Driverless Semis Have Started Running Regular Longhaul Routes
Posted by BeauHD on Friday May 02, 2025 @11:30PM from the after-decades-of-hype dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNN:

Driverless trucks are officially running their first regular long-haul routes, making roundtrips between Dallas and Houston. On Thursday, autonomous trucking firm Aurora announced it launched commercial service in Texas under its first customers, Uber Freight and Hirschbach Motor Lines, which delivers time- and temperature-sensitive freight. Both companies conducted test runs with Aurora, including safety drivers to monitor the self-driving technology dubbed "Aurora Driver." Aurora's new commercial service will no longer have safety drivers.

"We founded Aurora to deliver the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly, said Chris Urmson, CEO and co-founder of Aurora, in a release on Thursday. "Now, we are the first company to successfully and safely operate a commercial driverless trucking service on public roads." The trucks are equipped with computers and sensors that can see the length of over four football fields. In four years of practice hauls the trucks' technology has delivered over 10,000 customer loads. As of Thursday, the company's self-driving tech has completed over 1,200 miles without a human in the truck. Aurora is starting with a single self-driving truck and plans to add more by the end of 2025.

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Uber Says Waymo Autonomous Vehicles Outperforming 99% of Human Drivers in Austin
Posted by msmash on Wednesday May 07, 2025 @10:45AM from the how-about-that dept.

Waymo's autonomous vehicles operating on Uber's platform in Austin are completing more trips per day than over 99% of human drivers in the market, according to Uber's Q1 2025 earnings report [PDF] released Wednesday. The fleet of approximately 100 autonomous Waymo vehicles, launched exclusively on Uber in March, has "exceeded expectations," CEO Dara Khosrowshahi stated in the report.

He cited the performance to "Waymo's safety record and rider experience coupled with Uber's scale and reliability." Uber has rapidly expanded its autonomous vehicle operations, reaching an annual run-rate of 1.5 million mobility and delivery AV trips across its network. The company plans to scale to hundreds of vehicles in Austin in the coming months, while preparing for a launch in Atlanta by early summer. Khosrowshahi said that autonomous vehicle technology represents "the single greatest opportunity ahead for Uber."

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Uber Expects More Drivers Amid Robotaxi Push
Posted by msmash on Thursday May 15, 2025 @03:03PM from the under-control dept.

Uber's autonomous vehicle chief Andrew Macdonald predicted this week that the company will employ more human drivers in a decade despite aggressively expanding robotaxi operations. Speaking at the Financial Times' Future of the Car conference, Macdonald outlined a "hybrid marketplace" where autonomous vehicles dominate city centers while human drivers serve areas beyond robotaxi coverage, handle airport runs, and respond during extreme weather events.

"I am almost certain that there will be more Uber drivers in 10 years, not less, because I think the world will move from individual car ownership to mobility as a service," Macdonald said. The ride-hailing giant has struck partnerships with Waymo, Volkswagen, Wayve, WeRide, and Pony AI. Robotaxis are already operational in Austin and Phoenix, with CEO Dara Khosrowshahi claiming Waymo vehicles in Austin are busier than "99%" of human drivers.

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Waymo Set To Double To 20 Million Rides As Self-Driving Reaches Tipping Point
Posted by msmash on Thursday June 05, 2025 @09:00AM from the race-to-the-future dept.

Google's self-driving taxi service Waymo has surpassed 10 million total paid rides, marking a significant milestone in the transition of autonomous vehicles from novelty to mainstream transportation option. The company's growth trajectory, WSJ argues, shows clear signs of exponential scaling, with weekly rides jumping from 10,000 in August 2023 to over 250,000 currently. Waymo is on track to hit 20 million rides by the end of 2025. The story adds:

This is not just because Waymo is expanding into new markets. It's because of the way existing markets have come to embrace self-driving cars.

In California, the most recent batch of quarterly data reported by the company was the most encouraging yet. It showed that Waymo's number of paid rides inched higher by roughly 2% in both January and February -- and then increased 27% in March. In the nearly two years that people in San Francisco have been paying for robot chauffeurs, it was the first time that Waymo's growth slowed down for several months only to dramatically speed up again.

Waymo currently operates in Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, with expansion planned for Austin, Atlanta, Miami, and Washington D.C. The service faces incoming competition from Tesla, which plans to launch its own robotaxi service in Austin this month. Waymo remains unprofitable despite raising $5.6 billion in funding last year.

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

https://cincodias.elpais.com/opinion/2025-06-05/los-robotaxis-pasan-de-ser-una-exageracion-a-una-posibilidad-quiza-rentable.html

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Waymo's Robotaxis Are Coming Back to New York City
Posted by BeauHD on Wednesday June 18, 2025 @04:40PM from the proceed-with-caution dept.

Waymo plans to relaunch its robotaxi service in New York City, starting with safety driver testing while lobbying to change state law to eventually allow fully autonomous vehicles without human operators. The company has applied for a permit and will begin mapping in Manhattan, though legislative hurdles and skepticism from lawmakers remain. The Verge reports:

A bill was introduced in the New York State Legislature earlier this year that would permit autonomous vehicles without safety drivers "provided that the automated driving system is engaged and the vehicle meets certain conditions." The bill is currently under consideration by the state Senate's transportation committee.

New York City also has some of the most dangerous, congested, and poorly managed streets in the world. They are also full of construction workers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and double- and sometimes even triple-parked cars. In theory, this would make it very difficult for an autonomous vehicle to navigate, given that AVs typically rely on good weather, clear signage, and less aggressive driving from other road users for safe operation. And it's not clear that the state will amend its laws to allow for fully driverless vehicles, with some lawmakers expressing reservations.

"This kind of testing hasn't even been completed in other parts of the country," state Senator John Liu told Daily News last year after the city announced its new permitting process. "It would behoove New York City to wait to see some of those other results of driverless technology in less dense urban settings. This is an example of something where New York City does not have to be first."

Saluos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Tesla Begins Driverless Robotaxi Service in Austin, Texas
Posted by EditorDavid on Sunday June 22, 2025 @04:23PM from the keeping-Austin-weird dept.

With no one behind the steering wheel, a Tesla robotaxi passes Guero's Taco Bar in Austin Texas, making a right turn onto Congress Avenue.

Today is the day Austin became the first city in the world to see Tesla's self-driving robotaxi service, reports The Guardian:
Some ana

lysts believe that the robotaxis will only be available to employees and invitees initially. For the CEO, Tesla's rollout is slow. "We could start with 1,000 or 10,000 [robotaxis] on day one, but I don't think that would be prudent," he told CNBC in May. "So, we will start with probably 10 for a week, then increase it to 20, 30, 40."

The billionaire has said the driverless cars will be monitored remotely... [Posting on X.com] Musk said the date was "tentatively" 22 June but that this launch date would be "not real self-driving", which would have to wait nearly another week... Musk said he planned to have one thousand Tesla robotaxis on Austin roads "within a few months" and then he would expand to other cities in Texas and California.

Musk posted on X that riders on launch day would be charged a flat fee of $4.20, according to Reuters. And "In recent days, Tesla has sent invites to a select group of Tesla online influencers for a small and carefully monitored robotaxi trial..."

As the date of the planned robotaxi launch approached, Texas lawmakers moved to enact rules on autonomous vehicles in the state. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, on Friday signed legislation requiring a state permit to operate self-driving vehicles. The law does not take effect until September 1, but the governor's approval of it on Friday signals state officials from both parties want the driverless-vehicle industry to proceed cautiously... The law softens the state's previous anti-regulation stance on autonomous vehicles. A 2017 Texas law specifically prohibited cities from regulating self-driving cars...

The law requires autonomous-vehicle operators to get approval from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles before operating on public streets without a human driver. It also gives state authorities the power to revoke permits if they deem a driverless vehicle "endangers the public," and requires firms to provide information on how police and first responders can deal with their driverless vehicles in emergency situations. The law's requirements for getting a state permit to operate an "automated motor vehicle" are not particularly onerous but require a firm to attest it can safely operate within the law... Compliance remains far easier than in some states, most notably California, which requires extensive submission of vehicle-testing data under state oversight.

Tesla "planned to operate only in areas it considered the safest," according to the article, and "plans to avoid bad weather, difficult intersections, and will not carry anyone below the age of 18."

More details from UPI:

To get started using the robotaxis, users must download the Robotaxi app and use their Tesla account to log in, where it then functions like most ridesharing apps...

"Riders may not always be delivered to their intended destinations or may experience inconveniences, interruptions, or discomfort related to the Robotaxi," the company wrote in a disclaimer in its terms of service. "Tesla may modify or cancel rides in its discretion, including for example due to weather conditions." The terms of service include a clause that Tesla will not be liable for "any indirect, consequential, incidental, special, exemplary, or punitive damages, including lost profits or revenues, lost data, lost time, the costs of procuring substitute transportation services, or other intangible losses" from the use of the robotaxis.

Their article includes a link to the robotaxi's complete Terms of Service:

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Robotaxi, Robotaxi app, and any ride are provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied... The Robotaxi is not intended to provide transportation services in connection with emergencies, for example emergency transportation to a hospital... Tesla's total liability for any claim arising from or relating to Robotaxi or the Robotaxi app is limited to the greater of the amount paid by you to Tesla for the Robotaxi ride giving rise to the claim, and $100... Tesla may modify these Terms in our discretion, effective upon posting an updated version on Tesla's website. By using a Robotaxi or the Robotaxi app after Tesla posts such modifications, you agree to be bound by the revised Terms.

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Google for Developers · 2025.05.23 · Waymo: AI in the physical world powering the future of driving

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

https://www.eleconomista.es/motor/noticias/13447470/07/25/tesla-prueba-por-primera-vez-en-espana-su-sistema-de-conduccion-autonoma-en-las-calles-de-madrid.html

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Waymo Starts Robotaxi Testing In Philadelphia and NYC
Posted by BeauHD on Monday July 07, 2025 @07:30PM from the coming-to-a-city-near-you dept.

Waymo has launched new "road trips" to Philadelphia and New York City, "signaling the Alphabet-owned company's interest in expanding into Northeastern cities," reports TechCrunch. While these trips don't guarantee commercial launches, they follow a pattern that previously led to deployments in cities like Los Angeles. Other road trips this year are planned for Houston, Orlando, Las Vegas, San Diego, and San Antonio. From the report:

Typically, the trips involve sending a small fleet of human-driven vehicles equipped with Waymo's autonomous driving system to map out the new city. Then Waymo tests the vehicles autonomously, though still with a human behind the wheel, before taking any data and learnings back to its engineers to improve the AI driver's performance. In some cases, these road trips have led to commercial launches. In 2023, the company made a road trip to Santa Monica, a city in Los Angeles County. The company now operates a commercial service in Los Angeles, including Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and Hollywood.

For its Philadelphia trip, Waymo plans to place vehicles in the most complex parts of the city, including downtown and freeways, according to a spokesperson. She noted folks will see Waymo vehicles driving "at all hours throughout various Philadelphia neighborhoods, from North Central to Eastwick, University City, and as far east as the Delaware River."

In NYC, Waymo will drive its cars manually in Manhattan just north of Central Park down to The Battery and parts of Downtown Brooklyn. The company will also map parts of Jersey City and Hoboken in New Jersey. Waymo applied last month for a permit to test its AVs in New York City with a human behind the wheel. The company has not yet received approval.

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

https://x.com/Waymo/status/1945106097741664630

Alphabet's Waymo picks up speed as Tesla robotaxi service expands

Abhirup Roy and Akash Sriram · 2025.07.16

Waymo driverless vehicles wait at a traffic light in Santa Monica, California, U.S., May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole

A Waymo rider-only robotaxi is seen during a test ride in San Francisco, California, U.S., December 9, 2022. REUTERS/Paresh Dave

SAN FRANCISCO, July 15 (Reuters) - Alphabet's, opens new tab Waymo robotaxis have driven more than 100 million miles without a human behind the wheel, doubling the mileage in about six months, a top company official said, as it speeds up deployment in U.S. cities amid rising competition.

Rival Tesla, opens new tab is expanding its self-driving taxi service after a small trial with about a dozen of its Model Y SUVs in a limited area of Austin, Texas last month.

While Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said Tesla will scale up the service rapidly and launch in several U.S. cities by the end of 2025, Waymo has been expanding its service cautiously for years. With about 1,500 vehicles, it is available in San Francisco and some other Bay Area cities, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin and Atlanta.

"Reaching 100 million fully autonomous miles represents years of methodical progress now accelerating into rapid, responsible scaling," said Waymo's chief product officer, Saswat Panigrahi.

"As we expand to serve more riders in more cities, we'll encounter new challenges that will continue strengthening our service."

Waymo had logged about 71 million autonomous miles (114.3 million km) as of March, up from 50 million miles at the end of 2024 and 25 million miles through July 2024. It had completed its first million miles in January 2023.

"This type of milestone helps extend Waymo's lead over other self-driving services, because the cumulative experience of those hundred million miles is important," D.A. Davidson analyst Gil Luria said.

Waymo's driverless taxi mileage surges in 2025

Commercializing autonomous vehicles has been harder than anticipated with high costs, tight regulations and federal investigations forcing many, including General Motors' (GM.N), opens new tab Cruise, to shut down. Among the few still in the race is Amazon's (AMZN.O), opens new tab Zoox, which is testing a vehicle without manual controls such as a steering wheel and pedals, and plans to launch commercial services in Las Vegas this year.

Until Tesla's robotaxi rollout last month, Waymo was the only U.S. firm to operate driverless taxis with paying passengers.

Waymo, Tesla and Zoox and others have faced federal investigations and recalls following collisions.

Despite multiple traffic problems and driving mistakes as Tesla tiptoed into the robotaxi business after years of missed promises, Musk expanded the service area in Austin and said last week it will roll out services in the San Francisco Bay Area within two months.

Waymo said in March it aims to launch fully autonomous ride-hailing in Washington, D.C. next year. It has also applied for a permit to operate autonomous vehicles in New York, with a trained specialist behind the wheel in Manhattan, and said last month it will start by manually driving in the city until it gets the permit.

Robotaxis from Waymo, which started as Google's small self-driving project in 2009 and spun out seven years later, now cover more than two million miles per week autonomously.

As of May, the company has completed more than 10 million autonomous trips, up from 5 million trips at the end of 2024.

Reporting by Abhirup Roy in San Francisco; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Richard Chang

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Uber Plans 20,000 Robotaxis in Six-Year Rollout with Lucid and Nuro
Posted by msmash on Thursday July 17, 2025 @10:40AM from the closer-look dept.

Uber said Thursday it will partner with electric vehicle maker Lucid Group and autonomous driving startup Nuro to deploy robotaxis using Lucid Gravity SUVs equipped with Nuro Driver technology on its ride-sharing network. The companies plan to launch the first vehicles in late 2026 in an unidentified major US city and deploy at least 20,000 robotaxis over six years.

Uber will make multi-hundred-million dollar investments in both partners, including $300 million for Lucid to upgrade its assembly line for integrating Nuro hardware into Gravity vehicles.

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

https://www.eleconomista.es/motor/noticias/13503386/08/25/espana-acelera-en-la-carrera-por-el-coche-autonomo-a-la-espera-de-cambios-en-la-normativa.html

Saludos.

[pollo]

Waymo Starts Robotaxi Testing In Philadelphia and NYC
Posted by BeauHD on Monday July 07, 2025 @07:30PM from the coming-to-a-city-near-you dept.

Waymo has launched new "road trips" to Philadelphia and New York City, "signaling the Alphabet-owned company's interest in expanding into Northeastern cities," reports TechCrunch. While these trips don't guarantee commercial launches, they follow a pattern that previously led to deployments in cities like Los Angeles. Other road trips this year are planned for Houston, Orlando, Las Vegas, San Diego, and San Antonio. From the report:

Typically, the trips involve sending a small fleet of human-driven vehicles equipped with Waymo's autonomous driving system to map out the new city. Then Waymo tests the vehicles autonomously, though still with a human behind the wheel, before taking any data and learnings back to its engineers to improve the AI driver's performance. In some cases, these road trips have led to commercial launches. In 2023, the company made a road trip to Santa Monica, a city in Los Angeles County. The company now operates a commercial service in Los Angeles, including Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and Hollywood.

For its Philadelphia trip, Waymo plans to place vehicles in the most complex parts of the city, including downtown and freeways, according to a spokesperson. She noted folks will see Waymo vehicles driving "at all hours throughout various Philadelphia neighborhoods, from North Central to Eastwick, University City, and as far east as the Delaware River."

In NYC, Waymo will drive its cars manually in Manhattan just north of Central Park down to The Battery and parts of Downtown Brooklyn. The company will also map parts of Jersey City and Hoboken in New Jersey. Waymo applied last month for a permit to test its AVs in New York City with a human behind the wheel. The company has not yet received approval.

Saludos.

El hecho de que sigan teniendo que tomar de vez en cuando el control remoto del vehículo de vez en cuando (creo que estimaban una media de una vez cada 10 minutos de circulación) da a entender que este sistema tiene lagunas que a pesar de años de testeo y mejoras no se han podido superar. Básicamente lo mismo que los LLM, pero aquí como se puede morir gente o montarse un desaguisado en el tráfico (que de hecho ya ha pasado bastantes veces) tienen que poner sí o sí una persona que corrija.

Hace años que se alcanzó el tope de lo que esta tecnología puede hacer y se cubren las carencias con control remoto de humanos. AI = Actually Indians. Mientras tanto, continúan tirando y engañando a primos con la misma mentira: que el problema de la inteligencia es de una dificultad lineal y que no existen las asíntotas.

Para Waymo no hay mal que por bien no venga, de todas formas, porque significa que tiene una conducción pseudo autónoma que no va a salir al mercado de masas de coches privados, con lo que en la práctica les viene bien por tener un servicio que nadie puede copiarles... directamente.

Eso sí, para lo que es la tecnología de ciencia ficción que prometían (y forrarse indecentemente vendiéndosela a todo el mundo), nada ha cambiado. Al final está por ver si este sistema es escalable financieramente y sale más a cuenta que una flota de taxis ordinarios, de lo cual tengo mis dudas. Especialmente cuando todas las empresas similares entren en masa a hacer exactamente lo mismo. Y estos vehículos y su infraestructura (más teniendo en cuenta que hay que contratar gente) no son nada baratos.

Pasa como la carne artificial, las granjas hidropónicas verticales, las tiendas sin caja de Amazon y demás descubrimientos de América en un vaso de agua, que al final resulta que hacerlo como toda la vida es más rentable y más escalable por motivos bastante obvios.

[pollo]

https://www.eleconomista.es/motor/noticias/13503386/08/25/espana-acelera-en-la-carrera-por-el-coche-autonomo-a-la-espera-de-cambios-en-la-normativa.html

Saludos.

Los "expertos" (que serán vendemotos profesionales) llevan 15 años diciendo exactamente esto mismo. No hay motivos para creerles. De hecho diría que hay menos motivos para creerles que nunca.

Hasta ahora estoy harto de tener razón.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Waymo's Robotaxis Are Coming To London
Posted by BeauHD on Wednesday October 15, 2025 @08:20PM from the European-debut dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian:

People in London could be hiring driverless taxis from Waymo next year, after the US autonomous vehicle company announced plans to launch its services there. The UK capital will become the first European city to have an autonomous taxi service of the kind now familiar in San Francisco and four other US cities using Waymo's technology.

The launch pits an innovation sometimes dubbed the "robotaxi" against London's famous black cabs, which can trace their history back to the first horse-drawn hackney coaches of the Tudor era. But a representative of the capital's cab drivers said they were not concerned by the arrival of a "fairground ride" and questioned the reliability of driverless vehicles. Waymo said its cars were now on their way to London and would start driving on the capital's streets in the coming weeks with "trained human specialists," or safety drivers, behind the wheel.

The company, originally formed as a spin-off from Google's self-driving car program, said it would scale up operations and work closely with Transport for London and the Department for Transportto obtain the permits needed to offer fully autonomous rides in 2026. Uber and the UK tech company Wayve have also announced their own plans to trial their driverless taxis in the capital next year, after the British government said it would accelerate rules allowing public trials to take place before legislation enabling self-driving vehicles passes in full.

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

https://x.com/charliebilello/status/1980799489389498493

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Society Will Accept a Death Caused By a Robotaxi, Waymo Co-CEO Says
Posted by BeauHD on Tuesday October 28, 2025 @10:10PM from the we'll-see-about-that dept.

At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said society will ultimately accept a fatal robotaxi crash as part of the broader tradeoff for safer roads overall. TechCrunch reports:

The topic of a fatal robotaxi crash came up during Mawakana's interview with Kristen Korosec, TechCrunch's transportation editor, during the first day of the outlet's annual Disrupt conference in San Francisco. Korosec asked Mawakana about Waymo's ambitions and got answer after answer about the company's all-consuming focus on safety. The most interesting part of the interview arrived when Korosec brought on a thought experiment. What if self-driving vehicles like Waymo and others reduce the number of traffic fatalities in the United States, but a self-driving vehicle does eventually cause a fatal crash, Korosec pondered. Or as she put it to the executive: "Will society accept that? Will society accept a death potentially caused by a robot?"

"I think that society will," Mawakana answered, slowly, before positioning the question as an industrywide issue. "I think the challenge for us is making sure that society has a high enough bar on safety that companies are held to." She said that companies should be transparent about their records by publishing data about how many crashes they're involved in, and she pointed to the "hub" of safety information on Waymo's website. Self-driving cars will dramatically reduce crashes, Mawakana said, but not by 100%: "We have to be in this open and honest dialogue about the fact that we know it's not perfection."

Circling back to the idea of a fatal crash, she said, "We really worry as a company about those days. You know, we don't say 'whether.' We say 'when.' And we plan for them." Korosec followed up, asking if there had been safety issues that prompted Waymo to "pump the breaks" on its expansion plans throughout the years. The co-CEO said the company pulls back and retests "all the time," pointing to challenges with blocking emergency vehicles as an example. "We need to make sure that the performance is backing what we're saying we're doing," she said. [...] "If you are not being transparent, then it is my view that you are not doing what is necessary in order to actually earn the right to make the roads safer," Mawakana said.

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

https://www.expansion.com/empresas/motor/2025/11/01/6905fb07468aeb78528b4596.html

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Waymo To Expand Robotaxi Service To Las Vegas, San Diego and Detroit Next Year
Posted by BeauHD on Monday November 03, 2025 @06:30PM from the autobots-roll-out dept.

In its largest rollout yet, Waymo said it will launch its driverless robotaxi service to Las Vegas, San Diego, and Detroit in 2026. The Alphabet unit will also debut new Zeekr-built vehicles developed with Geely to complement its existing Jaguar I-PACE fleet. Reuters reports:

The new Zeekr model, developed with Chinese automaker Geely, are designed specifically for robotaxi use cases and will be rolled out gradually as the company expands its service. [...] Waymo plans to launch the service in Las Vegas next summer, while in San Diego, it is working with local officials and first responders to secure deployment permits. In Detroit, the company said its winter-weather testing in Michigan's Upper Peninsula has strengthened its ability to operate year-round, where it has long maintained engineering operations.

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

https://x.com/karpathy/status/1988705360723763242

https://x.com/karpathy/status/1989078861800411219

Saludos.

[pollo]

Me toca infinitamente los cojones que esta gente mienta descaradamente y hable como si fuese un problema resuelto.

Si fuese verdad lo que dicen, no tendrían pilotos humanos auxiliares por control remoto, ni escucharíamos las noticias de comportamientos absurdos (tanto individuales como colectivos) de sus vehículos tan inteligentes y tan perfectos.

Y desde luego, cuando hablan de su supuesta utopía no hablan de mierdas como esta, que son las que realmente pasarán y las que realmente me espero de esta gentuza:

Desperate to Stop Waymo's Dead-End Detours, a San Francisco Resident Tried an Orange Cone with a Sign (sfgate.com)
Posted by EditorDavid on Sunday October 19, 2025 @02:19PM from the path-of-enlightenment dept.

"This is an attempt to stop Waymo cars from driving into the dead end," complains a home-made sign in San Francisco, "where they are forced to reverse and adversely affect the lives of the residents."

On an orange traffic post, the home-made sign declares "NO WAYMO — 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m," with an explanation for the rest of the neighborhood. "Waymo comes at all hours of the night and up to 7 times per hour with flashing lights and screaming reverse sounds, waking people up and destroying the quality of life."

SFGate reports that 1,400 people on Reddit upvoted a photo of the sign's text:
It delves into the bureaucratic mess — multiple requests to Waymo, conversations with engineers, and 311 [municipal services] tickets, which had all apparently gone ignored — before finally providing instructions for human drivers. "Please move [the cones] back after you have entered so we can continue to try to block the Waymo cars from entering and disrupting the lives of residents."

This isn't the first time Waymo's autonomous vehicles have disrupted San Francisco residents' peace. Last year, a fleet of the robotaxis created another sleepless fiasco in the city's SoMa neighborhood, honking at each other for hours throughout the night for two and a half weeks.

Other on Reddit shared the concern. "I live at an dead end street in Noe Valley, and these Waymos always stuck there," another commenter posted. "It's been bad for more than a year," agreed another comment. "People on the Internet think you're just a hater but it's a real issue with Waymos."

On Thursday "the sign remained at the corner of Lake Street and Second Avenue," notes SFGate. And yet "something appeared to have shifted. "Waymo vehicles weren't allowing drop-offs or pickups on the street, though whether this was due to the home-printed plea, the cone blockage, or simply updating routes remains unclear."

US Investigates Waymo Robotaxis Over Safety Around School Buses (reuters.com)

Posted by BeauHD on Tuesday October 21, 2025 @06:40PM from the stop-means-stop dept.

U.S. regulators have opened a new investigation into about 2,000 Waymo self-driving cars after reports that one of the company's robotaxis illegally passed a stopped school bus with flashing lights and children disembarking.

Waymo says it's "already developed and implemented improvements related to stopping for school buses and will land additional software updates in our next software release." The company added "driving safely around children has always been one of Waymo's highest priorities. ... [Waymo] approached the school bus from an angle where the flashing lights and stop sign were not visible and drove slowly around the front of the bus before driving past it, keeping a safe distance from children."

Reuters reports:
NHTSA opened the investigation after a recent media report aired video of an incident in Georgia in which a Waymo did not remain stationary when approaching a school bus with its red lights flashing and stop arm deployed. The report said the Waymo vehicle initially stopped then maneuvered around the bus, passing the extended stop arm while students were disembarking.

Waymo's automated driving system surpassed 100 million miles of driving in July and is logging 2 million miles per week, the agency said. "Based on NHTSA's engagement with Waymo on this incident and the accumulation of operational miles, the likelihood of other prior similar incidents is high," the agency said. NHTSA said the vehicle involved was equipped with Waymo's fifth-generation Automated Driving System and was operating without a human safety driver at the time of the incident.

'No Driver, No Hands, No Clue': Waymo Pulled Over For Illegal U-turn (sfstandard.com)
Posted by msmash on Monday September 29, 2025 @09:40AM from the how-about-that dept.

What's the proper punishment for an illegal U-turn? If you're a human being in California, it's a fine of up to $234. If you're a robot, apparently, it's nothing at all. The San Francisco Standard:
This injustice became apparent to many Facebook users Saturday night after a viral post from the San Bruno Police Department showed footage of officers pulling over a Waymo for the scofflaw maneuver only to discover that no one was behind the wheel.

The car stopped automatically when it saw the police lights during a Friday evening DUI checkpoint, but instead of a person IRL, officers say they were connected with a Waymo rep over the phone. After a brief exchange, the Waymo was sent on its way. Under current law, officials explained, they couldn't issue a ticket. "Our citation books don't have a box for 'robot,'" they joked on Facebook. "Hopefully the reprogramming will keep it from making any more illegal moves."

Cuando dicen que todo es (y será) perfecto es una puta mentira. La realidad es que escudándose en la apariencia superficial de seguridad, hay un ser humano, esos que son tan nulos según ellos, cuidando que el coche no la cague a lo bestia. Es exactamente igual que en los modelos generativos, esos que salvo para chorradas o casos triviales, no puede uno fiarse de que lo estén haciendo bien porque están basados en putas tiradas de dados que a veces aciertan.

Las "alucinaciones" son un concepto estúpido. No existen alucinaciones en estos modelos. El modelo suelta sus interpolaciones las cuales a veces se parecen a la realidad y a veces no, y a las que no las llaman alucinaciones.

Para poder considerarlos propiamente una alucinación el modelo debería tener un comportamiento basal que fuese siempre correcto y la alucinación sería un estado excepcional e indicativo de avería o funcionamiento incorrecto, como hacemos con la mente humana. En cambio lo asumimos como normal, lo cual ya da una idea de lo fiable que es esto.

Y cuando se llevan cosas por delante, indemnización y a seguir.

Y literalmente no tienen como corregir de forma fiable. No es un programa. No tienen un código en el que puedan decir "esto falla aquí por X, Y o Z". Lo único que pueden hacer es reentrenar el modelo con la esperanza de que no vuelva a cagarla en ese aspecto. Y en mi experiencia, normalmente aflojando en otros conceptos del modelo.

Pero si se ve en los modelos de lenguaje. ¿Cómo puede ser que un modelo con supuestamente acceso a todo el corpus de conocimiento humano escrito, aún no pueda citar leyes con seguridad total y se las invente? ¿Cómo pueden fallar cuestiones triviales sobre por ejemplo deletrear palabras?