Tags: testing

Amazon-owned Zoox announced plans to map the streets of Washington, D.C. using manually driven Toyota Highlanders equipped with its sensor suite and software. The mapping effort will precede a rollout of autonomous vehicle testing later in the year, with human safety operators behind the wheel. The capital will become Zoox's eighth test site as the company expands its fleet of custom‑built robotaxis and moves toward a commercial service, pending additional regulatory clearances from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Ler mais

Tesla joined other autonomous‑driving firms in Austin, Texas, launching a robotaxi trial that quickly ran into trouble. Within its first day of testing, the company logged three crashes involving its Model Y robotaxis, two of which were rear‑ended by other vehicles and one in which a safety‑operator‑equipped car struck a stationary object at low speed. The incidents were reported by Forbes analyst Brad Templeton and later referenced by CEO Elon Musk. By contrast, Waymo’s crash rate remains far lower, with sixty crashes reported over more than fifty million miles of autonomous driving. The early setbacks raise questions about Tesla’s readiness for large‑scale robotaxi deployment. Ler mais

Modern robot lawn mowers have moved beyond boundary wires to rely on GPS paired with Real‑Time Kinematic (RTK) beacons for centimeter‑level accuracy. Companies such as Husqvarna explain how RTK tells satellites "I'm always here," allowing the mower to correct GPS drift. Design factors like cutting width, camera‑based obstacle detection, and scheduling features affect how well these devices handle narrow paths, nighttime operation, and weather delays. Real‑world testing revealed challenges with obstacles like trampolines, tree roots, and pets, while GPS coverage varies between suburban and urban settings. Overall, the technology offers reliable mowing with some human oversight needed. Ler mais