Certain autonomous vehicle experts claim that the fatal crash involving a self-driving Uber was avoidable.
Video released to the public graphically captures the moments before the Uber slammed into Elaine Herzberg crossing the road with her bicycle. A camera facing Uber operator Rafaela Vasquez shows her glancing down at her lap or the vehicle’s various screens just before the impact.
Upon viewing this footage, autonomous vehicle experts assert that the vehicle’s advanced sensors should’ve been able to detect Herzberg and had enough time to avoid the accident
Speaking to CNET, technology company Cortica revealed that it had run simulations and found that its artificial intelligence system detected Herzberg 0.9 seconds before the impact, roughly 50 feet prior to the collision, providing adequate time for an autonomous vehicle to react.
According to University of South Carolina law professor who studies autonomous vehicles, Bryant Walker, Uber’s systems had ample time to detect the victim.
“Although this video isn’t the full picture, it strongly suggests a failure by Uber’s automated driving system.
“The victim is obscured by darkness — but she is moving on an open road. Lidar and radar absolutely should have detected her and classified her as something other than a stationary object.”
Police in Tempe, Arizona are working with Uber, the US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the National Transportation Safety Board to determine who or what is to blame for the crash.