Asimov real-world pedestrian scenarios

We don’t just share the road with other vehicles. We share the road with people as they walk, run and bike to their destinations. Our autonomous car system, Asimov, is designed to treat people differently than cars, because they move differently. Torc’s number one priority has always been safety. While navigating traffic, the safest decision may require assertive driving. However, we always take a cautious approach toward pedestrians.

This video shows real situations that our self-driving car encountered with people on public roads. You’ll see our car stop for a person stepping off a crowded sidewalk into the street right in front of us. We shift over to provide space for a person walking in the bicycle lane. Our self-driving car predicts pedestrian movement to safely yield at crosswalks, stopping to allow people to cross before they even enter, or cautiously passing by if it is determined that the person plans to wait to cross.

We use our robust sensor suite and machine learning to detect and classify people as different entities than other objects, allowing the system to better understand how to safely behave around them.

At Torc, we believe that self-driving cars will increase the safety of everyone in and outside the car. This is how we share the road.