Apple Self-Driving Car Needed a Realignment After Clipping Curb in Autonomous Mode

[MacRumors]

One of Apple's self-driving test vehicles was involved in a minor incident on September 27, according to a filing made with the California DMV [PDF].

The self-driving vehicle, which was operating in autonomous mode at the time, clipped a curb while going 13 miles per hour. There was no damage reported, but the car did require a realignment.

A test vehicle, operating in autonomous mode in Sunnyvale and turning right from Mathilda Avenue onto Del Ray Avenue, made contact with a curb at approximately 13 miles per hour. While there was no tire or wheel damage, the contact resulted in misalignment. No other agents were involved, no injuries were reported, and law enforcement was not called to the scene.

The incident occurred when the vehicle was turning right from Mathilda Avenue onto Del Ray Avenue, a location that is right near Apple's Mathilda Avenue location.

Apple's self-driving vehicles have been involved in several very minor accidents, but most have been caused by other drivers and while not in autonomous mode. This is the second event that has occurred where an Apple vehicle was being operated in autonomous mode.

Apple has been testing its self-driving software since early 2017, using the aforementioned Lexus RX 450h vehicles outfitted with sensors and cameras in the area around its Cupertino campuses. The work on autonomous driving is part of Apple's longtime car project, and rumors suggest Apple is planning to release a vehicle in the mid to late 2020s.

Article Link: Apple Self-Driving Car Needed a Realignment After Clipping Curb in Autonomous Mode

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗]

Atleast no one was injured. So that’s good?

Meanwhile Tesla is taking over!

 

[dannyyankou]

Even though it's an incredibly minor incident, hitting the curb seems like something that should be very easy to avoid.

 

[KurtWilde]

something no driver operated car has ever done

 

[KurtWilde]

Even though it's an incredibly minor incident, hitting the curb seems like something that should be very easy to avoid.

But people do it all the time

 

[nvmls]

Still better than humans interacting with phones while driving.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗]

Even though it's an incredibly minor incident, hitting the curb seems like something that should be very easy to avoid.

Imagine if there was a kid there.

 

[dannyyankou]

But people do it all the time

But these are the types of things autonomous vehicles are supposed to fix

 

[currocj]

Siri still sucks and Apple is hopelessly behind Tesla. I will retire on my TSLA investment.

not anti AAPL just not a fan of bean counter Cook

 

[antiprotest]

But people do it all the time

My calculator makes mistakes much less often than I do.

 

[jazz1]

Was the car texting illegally while driving I don't know what is more scary, a self-driving car or a human not paying attention to the task of safe driving.

 

[jz0309]

Even though it's an incredibly minor incident, hitting the curb seems like something that should be very easy to avoid.

Like crashing into an ambulance???

 

[jz0309]

Every little detail involving Apple car is revealed … with we would get that same information about Tesla, waymo etc… I realize it’s probably in the DMV records…

 

[fenderbass146]

Even though it's an incredibly minor incident, hitting the curb seems like something that should be very easy to avoid.

Why...even most humans do it at some point or another...likely quite often.

 

[Bryan MacGuy]

I wonder if the car realized it needed the alignment or if a human passenger had to call for it.

 

[davidjschloss]

Imagine if there was a kid there.

It said it hit the curb, not that it jumped the curb. It also clearly misidentified the curb, there's no indication that if a person was there the system would't have seen that.

But in any case, you can't what if this. What if it wasn't an Apple car but a distracted driver?

I'm too lazy to look up the data for car v pedestrian injuries per vehicle mile, or even a guess for how often someone hits a curb where someone *might* be, but my town just installed a traffic calming island near a school so it's safer for pedestrians to cross in front of human drivers. So no matter the scenario, autonomous cars are going to be safer than human-driven ones.

 

[cpragman]

My car needed an alignment after sliding into a curb at low speed on an icy day. Why is this news?

 

[dannyyankou]

Why...even most humans do it at some point or another...likely quite often.

Humans don't have LiDAR scanners and lasers in their eyes

 

[sparkinstx]

So what's new? If you hit a curb hard enough, you can tweak or bend a tie rod end, a control arm, or other suspension or steering part, requiring an alignment and/or part replacement. Hit one hard enough and you can bend a subframe (yikes!) or cause an airbag deployment. On some ICE cars (like '90s era Fords) you can even trip an inertia switch (resettable) that could shut off the fuel pump and cause the car to stall.

 

[sparkinstx]

Humans don't have LiDAR scanners and lasers in their eyes

Or frickin' laser beams on their heads (like sharks)! Lol.

 

[0194839]

Apple should purchase Tesla. Give Elon his fortune so he can build more rockets to go to Mars. Hire Jony Ive to give the Tesla a redesign in Apples own image. Et voila!

 

[danny842003]

Humans don't have LiDAR scanners and lasers in their eyes

We’re still some way away from creating a computer to match the human brain. I

 

[GadgetBen]

Seriously? Does this stuff need to be reported in the USA? If so my wife would have a daily entry.

 

[fenderbass146]

Humans don't have LiDAR scanners and lasers in their eyes

Nope something much better...a brain.

 

[Cheesehead Dave]

Was the car texting illegally while driving I don't know what is more scary, a self-driving car or a human not paying attention to the task of safe driving.

I heard the tank was at least 10% ethanol...