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Police chief says Uber 'likely not' at fault in pedestrian accident
Yesterday, Uber called a halt to all self-driving tests after a highly publicized crash in Tempe, AZ, on Sunday evening. Now, it looks as though Uber might not be at fault for the accident. Tempe Police Chief Sylvia Moir told the San Francisco Chronicle that, based on footage from the vehicle's on-board cameras, "it's very clear it would have been difficult to avoid this collision in any kind of mode (autonomous or human-driven) based on how [the pedestrian] came from the shadows right into the roadway."
Uber stops all self-driving car tests after fatal crash (updated)
Uber is putting all of its self-driving vehicle tests on hold after one of its cars struck and killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona Sunday evening. According to ABC affiliate KNXV, the car had a human operator behind the wheel but was in autonomous mode. A woman walking on a crosswalk was struck by the car and she later died in the hospital due to the injuries she sustained. Uber said that it is working with the the local authorities.
UK plans to let drivers report road accidents online
British road users may soon be able to report accidents online, under new plans drawn up by the Department for Transport. The consultation, opened today by Transport Minister Jesse Norman, will allow citizens to suggest new ways for drivers to share details of traffic incidents with police and save time in the process.
Pilot error caused fatal Icon A5 plane crash, NTSB says
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that the Icon A5 crash that killed two Icon employees was caused by pilot error and not a problem with the aircraft. The final determination was a "failure to maintain clearance from terrain while maneuvering at a low altitude," the report states. The situation was caused by a "mistaken entry into a canyon surrounded by steep rising terrain while at a low altitude for reasons that could not be determined."
Tesla driver in fatal Autopilot crash ignored safety warnings
Following the investigation of a fatal Tesla Model S crash, the NTSB concluded in a 500-page report that the driver, Joshua Brown, ignored repeated "Autopilot" warnings to keep his hands on the wheel. "For the vast majority of the trip, the Autopilot hands-on state remained at 'hands required, not detected,' " the report states. Specifically, Brown was supposed to have his hands on the wheel for a 37-minute portion of the trip, and did so for just 25 seconds.
Amazon star Richard Hammond involved in electric car crash (updated)
It's a scary day for both The Grand Tour viewers and the motoring world at large. Amazon has revealed that show co-host Richard Hammond was involved in a crash while filming Grand Tour's second season in Switzerland. Hammond thankfully escaped with only a fractured knee, but the incident destroyed the Rimac Concept One electric supercar he was driving (the photo above shows what's left). While it's not certain what led to the crash, Amazon notes that there was no one else embroiled in the incident.
US Navy bans e-cigarettes on every ship in the fleet
Last year, the FDA finally started regulating e-cigarettes and swiftly ruled to keep them out of checked baggage on flights. Incidental reports that some had caught on fire led regulators to restrict them to carry-ons lest they ignite in midair. It seems the US Navy won't even take that chance, as the branch just banned e-cigarettes across the entire fleet.
Uber pauses its self-driving efforts following Arizona crash (updated)
Uber isn't taking any chances in the wake of its self-driving car accident in Tempe, Arizona. The company has suspended both its Arizona testing and its Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania operations while it investigates what happened. The company has confirmed to Engadget that its vehicle was in self-driving mode at the time, but adds that there were no serious injuries on either side of the collision, and "no backseat passengers" in Uber's autonomous Volvo.
Uber and Honda face lawsuit after crash leaves rider paralyzed
Questions about Uber's driver screening aren't about to go away any time soon. A Dallas woman is suing Uber and Honda after her ridesharing driver ran a red light, leading to a crash that left her paralyzed from the chest down. The lawsuit alleges that the parties involved (including the driver and the Odyssey minivan's owner) not only didn't provide adequate safety, but let the driver operate the vehicle without insurance. He had also been arrested for drug and gambling charges that should have been red flags, according to the suit.
Tesla Autopilot avoids a crash before it happens
Tesla's Autopilot 8.0 has a particularly clever feature: it uses radar to track road activity two cars ahead, helping it avoid danger that you wouldn't normally see. And it now appears that this tech just averted a disaster. Dutch Model X owner Frank van Hoesel has dashcam footage showing his electric crossover reacting to a bad highway crash before it even starts. As you can hear in the video, the Model X's Forward Collision Warning system starts braking when it detects the SUV two vehicles ahead coming to an abrupt stop, even though the driver of the car directly behind it is unaware. The result? Van Hoesel's EV remained untouched when it could easily have contributed to a pile-up.
Uber's self-driving cars are off to a rough start
Uber's autonomous ridesharing cars appear to be running into snags just a few weeks into their Pittsburgh test runs. Quartz has gathered multiple reports of the self-driving vehicles getting into accidents or otherwise having trouble, some more serious than others. Officially, Uber is only aware of an incident where another car bumped the fender of one of its rides. That's fine given that human drivers frequently pose the biggest danger to robotic cars, and it's difficult to account for all possible behavior. However, Nathan Stachelek also recorded video of a driver manually turning a self-driving car around after it went the wrong way down a one-way street -- suffice it to say this could have created major problems if there was oncoming traffic.
Google's self-driving car is the victim in a serious crash
Google's self-driving cars don't have a flawless safety record, but it's clearer than ever that careless human drivers remain the greater threat. A commercial van running a red light struck one of Google's autonomous Lexus SUVs as it crossed a Mountain View intersection, seriously damaging the side of the vehicle. Neither the Google observers nor the van driver were hurt, thankfully. However, this is likely the worst incident to date for Google's driverless cars -- previous crashes have typically involved humans rear-ending the robotic cars at low speed.
SpaceX asked to pay $50 million after losing a satellite
SpaceX may have to deal with more than equipment losses and Mark Zuckerberg's disappointment in the wake of its launchpad explosion. Spacecom, which owned the AMOS-6 satellite destroyed in the incident (and part of Facebook's free internet plans), is asking SpaceX for either $50 million or a free flight as compensation. The loss will have a large impact on Spacecom's bottom line, as you might imagine. The Israeli firm is estimating that it'll lose between $30 million to $123 million in equity.
Longest-ever aircraft takes damage in second flight
The future of air travel may have to wait a while. Airlander 10, Hybrid Air Vehicles' cross between an airplane and airship, suffered damage at the end of its second test flight. The longest-ever aircraft wrecked its cockpit when it nosedived on landing. HAV reports that the crew is "safe and well," thankfully, but it's not clear how long this will delay the Airlander program. The company tells the BBC that it's waiting on the results of a debriefing before it provides more details.
Police confirm DVD player found in Tesla Autopilot wreck
A day after we learned that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating a fatal crash involving Tesla's Autopilot feature, more details have emerged. The Florida Highway Patrol confirmed to Reuters that a portable DVD player was found in the wreckage. The driver of the truck that was crossing the highway when it was struck by the Model S told the Associated Press that the driver was playing a Harry Potter movie at the time. He said he could he could hear it playing after the car hit a telephone pole further down the road.
Tesla under investigation after first Autopilot-related death
The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) is investigating a collision that occurred when a Tesla Model S in Autopilot mode crashed into a tractor trailer resulting in the death of the driver. This is the first fatality linked to the automaker's vehicles while in the semi-autonomous driving mode.
Japan is trying to rescue its tumbling X-ray satellite
Japan's JAXA space agency is struggling to figure out what happened to its Astro-H "Hitomi" satellite after it lost contact on Saturday. Radar data from the US Strategic Command's Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) initially showed that several parts may have broken off and JAXA's radar has spied at least one separated piece. Yesterday, scientists received intermittent signals from the craft, showing that it might be at least partially functional. However, amateur video now appears to show the $360 million X-ray telescope-equipped craft tumbling through space.
Someone crashed a drone into Seattle's Great Wheel
Tonight Seattle news stations are reporting that someone hit the Great Wheel ride with a drone (hopefully it's not one of Amazon's). There were no injuries or damage to the Ferris Wheel, while the drone apparently crashed onto the patio of a nearby restaurant. According to KIRO 7, the owner of the drone has not been located, something the Department of Transportation probably thinks that its plan for a national drone registry could help solve. On YouTube there are a number of videos from people safely flying drones around the massive ride, but incidents like this show how a few careless owners may ruin the hobby for those that operate their aircraft responsibly.
NASA crashes a third airplane for science on live TV
If you've ever wanted to see a "severe but survivable plane accident" (without worrying about actual lives at stake), tune into NASA TV today between 1 and 2pm ET. The site will be broadcasting live coverage of a simulated crash conducted by the agency's Search and Rescue Mission Office.
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo crash was due to co-pilot error (updated)
After nearly 9 months of investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board has an official explanation for Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo crash. As suspected, the accident happened when the co-pilot triggered the "feathering" system (moving the tail wings to increase drag for reentry) well below the intended Mach 1.4 speed -- the premature resistance led to the suborbital craft breaking up and plummeting into the Mojave Desert. More details are forthcoming, but Virgin Galactic says that it welcomes the findings. Hopefully, the lessons learned prevent future accidents and keep private spaceflight on track. Update: The NTSB has published the full ruling, and says that there also wasn't enough done to either prevent this mistake or educate pilots about what would happen. Even the FAA is partly to blame, since it didn't check to make sure that the requirements behind a hazard waiver were implemented properly. In other words, the co-pilot's slip-up was the last piece of a larger puzzle. [Image credit: AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu]
