Every day, drivers encounter unexpected situations on the road, and we have to determine the safest way to handle them. Self-driving cars need to be able to handle the myriad of complex driving scenarios that happen every day – many of which we cannot predict. Still, we “train” the system to react in a safe way.
This is an example of a complex driving scenario the Torc self-driving car encountered at a crosswalk. A pedestrian is standing at the corner of a crosswalk, seemingly intent on crossing the road. The car ahead of ours brakes momentarily then speeds past the crosswalk. Our car stops, allowing the pedestrian the right-of-way. Our car waits for the person to cross, and though he indicates that he might not go forward, he is still in moving within the path of the crosswalk. Only when the person moves back onto the curb does the Torc car continue traveling.
We’re showcasing the capabilities of our autonomous car system on real public roads with real scenarios the car has encountered. To get updates on the latest videos, check back on our blog or subscribe to our YouTube channel.