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Waymo has issued a recall for certain 5th Generation Automated Driving Systems (ADS) due to a software error that may increase the risk of a crash. The affected software versions, released before May 29, 2024, and map software released before June 4, 2024, have been updated.
Key Highlights:
- Recall Number: NHTSA Campaign Number: 24E049000
- Manufacturer: Waymo LLC
- Components Affected: Electrical System
- Potential Units Affected: 672
- Issue Summary: The ADS systems could fail to avoid a pole or similar object.
- Remedy: Updated software and maps provided free of charge, all vehicles repaired by June 6, 2024.
- Contact Information: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.
Summary of Defect:
Waymo LLC has recalled certain 5th Generation Automated Driving Systems (ADS) with specific software and map versions. These systems may fail to avoid poles or similar objects, posing an increased risk of a crash. The recall affects 672 units.
Details of the Recall:
The defect involves the ADS’s inability to detect and avoid poles or pole-like objects under specific conditions:
- Object within Road Boundaries: If the object is within the road boundaries without a hard road edge in the map data.
- Low Damage Score Assignment: If the ADS’s perception system assigns a low damage score to the object.
- Object in Intended Path: If the object is in the ADS’s intended path during maneuvers like a pullover.
- No Nearby Objects: If there are no other objects nearby for the ADS to react to.
Remedial Actions:
Waymo identified the issue on May 21, 2024, after an incident involving a Waymo AV in Phoenix, Arizona, colliding with a wooden utility pole during a low-speed pullover maneuver. The company’s Field Safety Committee immediately began analyzing the event and developing mitigations. These included a fully validated software update and robust mapping updates to ensure the map meets Waymo’s specifications near pole-like objects.
Between May 29, 2024, and June 3, 2024, Waymo updated the ADS software in all affected vehicles. By June 6, 2024, all affected vehicles were operating with the updated map, ensuring enhanced safety.
Additional Information:
Owners of affected vehicles were not required to take any action as Waymo, which owns all the affected vehicles, completed the necessary updates. The recall report, submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on June 10, 2024, includes detailed information about the recall and the corrective measures taken.
For further details, owners can contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline or visit www.nhtsa.gov.
This recall highlights Waymo’s commitment to safety and rapid response in addressing potential risks associated with its automated driving systems.
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