Zoox Issues Robotaxi Recall Following Fire Scene Incident

Self-driving car maker Zoox Inc., which is owned by Amazon, has issued a recall of all 105 robotaxis due to a software glitch that can cause the car to fail to recognize dense smoke. The software update that Zoox plans to roll out aims to ensure that its autonomous cars better handle smoke-filled areas without impeding emergency services.

This move comes amid increased scrutiny on how autonomous cars interact with emergency responders.

Fire Scene Prompted the Software Update

According to Zoox, the problem emerged following an event that occurred on June 20, whereby one of its robotic taxis was involved. At the time, the autonomous taxi, which did not have any passengers, found itself amidst thick smoke at an emergency scene.

With the smoke making it difficult for the vehicle to identify the emergency scene, the robotaxi drove into the scene but suddenly stopped and tried to pull out of there. Following the commands from the remote operator, the vehicle proceeded to back up. Traffic cones were eventually placed by the emergency personnel on two out of the three traffic lanes.

Zoox said that the upgraded software improves upon the ability of the vehicle to identify thick smoke.

Safety Regulators Increase Pressure on Autonomous Vehicle Companies

The recall was made a few days after the chief of the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) urged autonomous vehicle makers to urgently deal with safety problems related to robotaxis and emergency responders.

According to Jonathan Morrison, who is the chief of the organization, there have been several incidents where the autonomous vehicles entered the active sites of emergency and were unable to see warning signs such as emergency lighting, smoke, flames, road flares, and cones. The agency informed the autonomous vehicles manufacturers that the meetings would be organized at the end of the month for discussing measures for better coordination of the autonomous vehicles and the first responders.

Broader Scrutiny Across the Robotaxi Industry

The problems encountered by Zoox are not unique to self-driving companies; for example, there have been investigations into the use of the self-driving cars of Waymo by NHTSA and the National Transportation Safety Board.

Waymo’s robotaxi fleet has been involved in incidents including blocking firetrucks in Dallas, hindering the movement of ambulances, engaging in police activities, and passing school buses while lights were on in other situations.

All this goes to show that there are growing concerns about how the autonomous vehicles will handle unexpected road conditions, especially involving the emergency services.

Focus Remains on Safer Autonomous Driving

According to Zoox, the recall applies to all 105 self-driving cars in its fleet and it will be handled by means of a software update without any changes to its hardware. The aim of this recall is to ensure that the robotaxi vehicles detect smoke and avoid emergency areas.

With more robotaxi fleets becoming common in American cities, there is an increasing focus on ensuring that the self-driving vehicles can detect emergencies and collaborate with first responders.