Waymo exec admits remote operators in Philippines help guide US robotaxis

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradtempleton/2024/03/26/waymo-...

The description there is

    In January, an incident took place where a Waymo robotaxi incorrectly went through a red light due to an incorrect command from a remote operator, as reported by Waymo. A moped started coming through the intersection. The moped driver, presumably reacting to the Waymo, lost control, fell and slid, but did not hit the Waymo and there are no reports of injuries. There may have been minor damage to the moped.

While the description in the official report to the NHTSA is (ID: 30270-6981)

    On January [XXX], 2024 at 10:52AM PT a rider of a moped lost control of the moped they were operating and fell and slid in front of a Waymo Autonomous Vehicle (Waymo AV) operating in San Francisco, California on [XXX] at [XXX] neither the moped nor its driver made contact with the Waymo AV.

    The Waymo AV was stopped on northbound [XXX] at the intersection with [XXX] when it started to proceed forward while facing a red traffic light. As the Waymo AV entered the intersection, it detected a moped traveling on eastbound [XXX] and braked. As the Waymo AV braked to a stop, the rider of the moped braked then fell on the wet roadway before sliding to a stop in front of the stationary Waymo AV. There was no contact between the moped or its rider and the Waymo AV. The Waymo AVs Level 4 ADS was engaged in autonomous mode.

    Waymo is reporting this crash under Request No. 1 of Standing General Order 2021-01 because a passenger of the Waymo AV reported that the moped may have been damaged. Waymo may supplement or correct its reporting with additional information as it may become available.

It would be a certifiably insane model with the latency and failure modes involved, for a start.

Physics. Have you ever played a competitive/reaction based video game with high ping? It is very, very hard. And it’s a game, where there are many tricks to hide latency from you.

Cloud console shows pings between Google data centers in us-west and ones that are in proximity of Philippines around 160-200ms. Then you also have inherent lag of wireless connection itself. Then you have also connectivity from google’s data center to Philippines.

If you want remote driving in uncontrolled environment, you reasonably can expect only the same city/county operators.

I’m obviously uninformed, but I’d expect the remote operators job (from another country) to be like “car is safe to proceed, based on that picture that I see” or, in the worst case scenario, put some waypoints in the ui and let car drive on its own.

I’m sure there are, but direct remote control of throttle, brakes etc in vehicles is _hopefully_ not part of that.

I could see certain situations where it could be authorised when a vehicle is stranded and unable to operate autonomously at all due to an error, but it would have to be extremely slow speed with a full-stop failsale on connection drop or high-latency detection.

That said I bet there are some who do not consider the safety implications and “move fast and break people”

Yes. Something you should intuit, and is eaisly confirmed with a quick search. It is licensed to drive and the conditions underwhich it may do so are clearly stipulated. If it didnt require a license elon would have his deathtraps littering roadsides with mangled flesh and steel everywhere. Perhaps ask yourself why you asked such a misguided question and consider what you can do different in your cognitive patternd to avoid it in the future.

I think if you took a buddy with you to the drivers license test in America and asked your buddy these questions during the test. You and your buddy are both failing. Unless test was in India over tea and not in a car.

Which is certainly better than just having a human remote drive.

But it’s still not the impression they’ve been giving. It’s been an impression of full automation (ignoring getting stuck) and if it’s not navigating on its own that’s disingenuous.