Internal Document Shows Otto?s Self-Driving Semi Truck Testers May Not Keep Foot on Pedal
The legality of Otto?s tests of self-driving trucks on California public roads may hinge on how involved its test drivers are during the driving process. Although company co-founder Anthony Levandowski has assured officials with the state?s Department of Motor Vehicles that Otto?s test drivers are ?actively and physically pressing the accelerator? during testing, an internal document suggests that?s not the case.
The document, obtained via a public records request, details the operations policies for Otto, a San Francisco?based subsidiary of Uber formed to pursue self-driving-truck technology. The policies instruct test drivers to prepare for disengagements of the driving system by keeping ?a hand near the wheel while hovering your foot over the pedal,? which runs contrary to Levandowski?s description. Written in April 2016 by Ryan Espinosa, an Otto operations manager, the policy explicitly directs drivers to avoid making any control inputs while the system is running. ?Do not apply steering, throttle, or brake input while in cruise without disengaging,? it reads.
Reached Friday afternoon, an Otto spokesperson said the company would have no further comment.
Whether drivers are actively involved or merely passively monitoring the system is a crucial distinction, one that is part of a broader examination of whether Otto?s testing runs afoul of the state?s autonomous-testing regulations. Otto does not hold a permit to test autonomous vehicles on California public roads, nor ...
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