A driverless ride-hailing car operated by Chinese tech company Baidu hit a pedestrian in Wuhan, China, resulting in minor injuries. The pedestrian was hospitalized but had no apparent external injuries.
Baidu claimed that the vehicle started moving when the traffic light turned green, and the pedestrian was crossing on a red light.
The incident sparked social media support for Baidu, with most comments stating that the pedestrian broke the law. Images online showed a person sitting in front of the driverless car with sensors on the roof.
Autonomous driving can be challenging in complex situations, particularly when dealing with unconventional behavior like pedestrian traffic violations.
Baidu leads the development of autonomous driving in China and operates the largest driverless taxi service in Wuhan, with a fleet of 300 cars. The service also operates in Beijing, Shenzhen, and Chongqing on a more limited scale.
It recently introduced the sixth generation of its driverless taxis, boasting a cost reduction of over 50% per unit, to less than $30,000.
Sources: Time, Newsmax, Известия, La Voz, Euronews
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
