Late-Night Robo-Honking from Waymo's Robotaxis Sparks Frustration among San Francisco Residents
In the heart of San Francisco, the peace of sleep is being disrupted by an unexpected guest - Waymo's robotaxis. These self-driving vehicles have been making their rounds, even at ungodly hours, and let's just say, they're not exactly whisper-quiet.
A local resident, Sophia Tung, living next to one of Waymo's parking lots, has been bearing witness to these late-night antics. She's been capturing it all on camera, sharing videos and even a live stream. According to her, the cars hustle and bustle round the clock, with some making an appearance as late as 4 a.m. But what really wakes her (and probably many others) up, is the incessant honking that sometimes lasts for up to an hour. She might find it "fun to watch," but the honking, she says, needs to cut it out.
When Gizmodo reached out to Waymo for comment, they explained that this strange symphony of horns was due to a recent software update. Seems their autonomous cars had been taught a new trick - honk if another car gets too close while reversing. It's been working great in the city, but apparently, the parking lots are a whole different ballgame. They've since rectified the situation by updating the software, so their silent, electric neighbors can catch some peace.
Waymo's been making waves in the robotaxi scene. Apart from San Francisco, they've got active operations in Los Angeles and Phoenix, Arizona. And they've got big plans, aiming to expand to more cities and regions. This week, they announced they'd be testing their vehicles on Bay Area freeways, a move they started in Phoenix earlier this year.
While details on how they've specifically addressed the late-night honking complaints in San Francisco are a little thin, Waymo's got a history of being responsive to community concerns about their autonomous vehicles. For instance, when a gang of their cars got stuck in a never-ending honking spree in the city, they quickly got the memo and rectified the issue[3]. They've also apologized for related noise disturbances like honking robotaxis after reports by ABC7 News[2].
In the grand scheme of things, addressing community concerns and improving public perception is vital for autonomous vehicle companies like Waymo. Collaboration with local authorities and updates to their operational systems are key to alleviating such issues and ensuring a smooth ride for all involved.
- Despite the tech advancements in Waymo's robotaxis, the incessant honking of their autonomous vehicles, even at late hours, is causing disruption to local residents, like Sophia Tung, who lives near their parking lot.
- In response to these issues, Waymo acknowledged the problem as a result of a recent software update and had taught their vehicles to honk if another car gets too close while reversing.
- After rectifying the situation by updating the software, Waymo aims to maintain peaceful relations with their neighbors, moving forward, as they expand their robotaxi operations to more cities and regions, such as Bay Area freeways.
- Honesty and addressing community concerns are essential for Waymo to improve public perception of their autonomous vehicles, and they have demonstrated responsiveness, as evidenced by their past attempts to resolve similar concerns involving noise disturbances.
