Why Amazon-owned Zoox has recalled its robotaxis in the US
What's the story
Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle firm, Zoox, has announced its second voluntary recall in a month.
The move comes after a collision between one of its robotaxis and an e-scooter rider in San Francisco on May 8.
The incident involved an unoccupied Zoox vehicle, which was stopped at the time of contact, and was hit by the e-scooter at an intersection.
Past issues
Previous recall due to software concerns
Before the San Francisco incident, Zoox had recalled some 270 vehicles after a robotaxi collided with a passenger car in Las Vegas.
The crash had raised questions about the self-driving software's capability to anticipate the movement of other road users.
Despite the latest crash, Zoox insists that its vehicle was stationary when it made contact with the e-scooter rider.
Incident report
Details of the May 8 crash
In its statement about the May 8 incident, Zoox clarified that "the Zoox vehicle was stopped at the time of contact."
The company added that "the e-scooterist fell to the ground directly next to the vehicle. The robotaxi then began to move and stopped after completing the turn, but did not make further contact with the e-scooterist."
According to Zoox, minor injuries were sustained by the e-scooter rider who declined medical assistance.
Update details
Software update to prevent movement near vulnerable road users
Zoox has shared all relevant information and footage with regulatory authorities and has already implemented a software update.
The purpose of this update is to "improve perception tracking and further prevent vehicle movement when a vulnerable road user may be very near the vehicle."
This measure would mitigate risks associated with a robotaxi that keeps moving after a collision.
Recalls
Issues with autonomous driving system
In March, Zoox recalled 258 vehicles over problems with its autonomous driving system that could result in unexpected hard braking. This came after two reports of incidents where motorcyclists crashed into the back of Zoox test vehicles.