Robotics Summary

Waymo has resumed its robotaxi service in San Francisco following a city-wide power outage that caused significant traffic chaos. During the blackout, approximately one-third of the city lost power, leading to complications for Waymo's autonomous vehicles as they struggled to navigate malfunctioning traffic signals.

Videos circulating on social media showed multiple Waymo vehicles stalled at intersections, prompting scrutiny of the company's emergency response capabilities. In response to the incident, a San Francisco supervisor has called for a hearing to evaluate Waymo's emergency operations during such circumstances.

Meanwhile, Tesla highlighted the reliability of its Full Self-Driving service, stating it remained unaffected by the blackout, as reported by multiple sources. Additionally, Uber and Lyft plan to test Baidu's robotaxis in London next year, expanding their autonomous vehicle efforts internationally, according to reports.

This follows their ongoing competition with Waymo in the autonomous vehicle space.