‘System failure’ cripples Baidu robotics in China

Robotaxis operated by Baidu’s Apollo Go company have stopped throughout Wuhan, China, in some cases detaining passengers for up to two hours, according to multiple media reports as well as numerous videos and social media posts.

Baidu did not share the reason for the widespread outage. However, local police said it was a “system malfunction” that affected at least 100 automated taxis. Reuters reported. An unknown technical error caused the robot to freeze suddenly, sometimes in dangerous places such as highway lanes, According to Wired. The police are still investigating the matter.

Baidu did not respond to TechCrunch’s email request for comment.

Baidu is one of the largest robotaxi operators in China and has expanded into the Middle East. Last year, the company said it plans to deploy a fleet of more than 1,000 self-driving vehicles in Dubai over the next few years.

Baidu’s recent outage is the latest incident to raise questions about the safety of robotaxis and their impact on local communities. It is not isolated only to China. A Widespread power outages In California last December, traffic lights were knocked out, causing Waymo cars to stop.