Amazon’s Zoox recalls software after robotaxi drove into heavy smoke

AmazonZoox, which owns it, has recalled the software on 105 of its robot axes due to concerns that its vehicles could not detect dense smoke and were trapped inside it.

Zoox informed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration He said the recall occurred on July 8 and was made aware of the smoke detection issue following an incident last month.

On June 20, an unoccupied Zoox robotaxi encountered thick smoke obscuring an active emergency fire area that was not surrounded by cones, the company’s report said. Zoox said the vehicle entered the scene, then braked hard while trying to swerve before coming to a stop.

The company said the incident occurred in Las Vegas.

After the Zoox tele-guidance worker instructed the vehicle to reverse, first responders placed traffic cones to block off the scene, according to the report.

Zoox said it investigated the incident and determined it was “the only incident of this type.” No injuries were detected.

Amazon acquired Zoox for $1.3 billion in 2020. The company operates self-driving cars that have no steering wheel or pedals and feature four inward-facing car-style seats, giving them a shuttle-like atmosphere.

Zoox currently offers free rides in parts of Las Vegas and San Francisco and allows select users to use its robotaxis in small areas in Miami and Austin, Texas. Testing continues in six other US cities.

The voluntary recall comes after NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive last week to autonomous vehicle developers to ensure their vehicles stay out of the way of first responders.

Morrison said in the letter He said the agency “identified a clear pattern of driverless AVs interfering with law enforcement and other first responders,” citing incidents where AVs entered active emergency environments, blocked the paths of ambulances or firefighters, or failed to recognize or respond to flashing lights, flares, smoke, fire and traffic cones.

He called on AV developers and operators to “immediately focus their resources on solving this problem” and submit their solutions to the agency by the end of the month. The letter does not name specific AV companies.

Zoox issued several software recalls last year to fix problems. lane crossingsas well as the ability to predict the movements of other vehicles and pedestrians.

Company races to catch up AlphabetWaymo, the dominant robotaxi service in the US, operates a fleet of nearly 4,000 automated vehicles in the country.

Last month, Waymo recalled nearly 3,900 robotaxis after some of its vehicles entered closed construction zones on highways, increasing the “risk of accidents.”

WRISTWATCH: NHTSA’s Morrison: AV developers need to solve first responder problems