Plane auto-lands during pilot incapacitation emergency [video]

One of the big design challenges with self-driving cars like Waymo is communication with pedestrians - have to have some analogue to making eye contact or waving so pedestrians know they've been seen (possibly through audio or LED message signs)[0]

It's fascinating to me that a plane in full (emergency) autonomous mode, having run an algorithm to identify airport and landing sequence, is using speech to text to broadcast over analogue radio to the humans in the area. And the tower tentatively communicating back ('Outfitter 9, if you can hear me, cleared to land...') to do the expected final step in the exchange.

https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/13/23913251/waymo-roof-dome...

I'm curious in this instance how the system was activated. According to literature "activation happens manually via a dedicated button (cockpit/cabin) or automatically if the system detects pilot incapacitation (no inputs, emergency descent after depressurization, or Level Mode active too long)"

In this scenario I wonder which it was.

Discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46346214

This is impressive. I'd also like to add that the Beechcraft Super King Air is a beautiful aircraft.

Amazing, I saw the video of when they did a test with the HondaJet, pretty cool to see it in action.

Amazing to see this system work.

Maybe soon we don’t need physical controls, no more pilots, and we no longer need security checks to board a plane. :)