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Anonymous ID: 3ce54c May 14, 2024, 9:31 a.m. No.20865780   🗄️.is đź”—kun

Hundreds of self-driving cars investigated over disregarding traffic rules

Story by Matt Oliver • 2h • 2 min read

 

Google’s robot taxis are to be investigated by American regulators amid claims the self-driving cars flouted traffic laws.

 

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Tuesday said its investigation would look at 444 vehicles owned by Waymo, a subsidiary of Google’s parent Alphabet.

 

It follows reports of 22 incidents, including 17 collisions, which included behaviour that potentially broke traffic laws, the regulator said.

 

In some of those cases, Waymo’s cars appeared to disobey “traffic safety control devices” – which can include street signs, traffic signals and road markings – and crashes happened after the vehicles “exhibited unexpected behaviour”, the NHTSA added.

 

Other reports included collisions with objects such as gates and chains, or crashes involving parked vehicles, while there were examples of vehicles “driving in opposing lanes with nearby oncoming traffic or entering construction zones”.

 

The move is the latest step taken by the regulator amid safety fears about driverless cars.

 

It has also launched similar investigations into rival driverless car firms Cruise and Zoox, which are owned by General Motors and Amazon respectively.

 

In February, Waymo recalled 444 self-driving vehicles following two collisions in quick succession in Arizona.

 

The company blamed a software error which it said could cause the cars to inaccurately predict the movement of a towed vehicle.

 

Separately, electric car maker Tesla was forced to issue software updates to more than two million cars to prevent drivers abusing its Autopilot system.

 

That followed hundreds of crashes which happened while drivers were using the technology, some of them fatal.

 

Following a two-year investigation, the NHTSA said in December that Tesla would make changes amid concerns that motorists were not paying attention to the road when the system was activated.

 

The regulator’s investigation into Waymo is the first part in a process that could eventually lead to a recall, should officials decide the vehicles pose an unreasonable risk to safety.

 

Waymo did not comment on the safety incidents but said it would cooperate with the NHTSA.

 

It added it was “proud of our performance and safety record over tens of millions of autonomous miles driven, as well as our demonstrated commitment to safety transparency”.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/google-s-self-driving-cars-investigated-on-suspicion-of-breaking-traffics-laws/ar-BB1mna4i

 

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Anonymous ID: 3ce54c May 14, 2024, 9:40 a.m. No.20865806   🗄️.is đź”—kun   >>5816 >>5875 >>5884 >>6073 >>6083 >>6123

First official portrait of King Charles since coronation unveiled

Story by Daniel Keane• 39m • 3 min read

 

The King has unveiled the first completed official portrait of himself since the coronation, which includes one detail Charles suggested should be added.

 

The portrait, by British artist Jonathan Yeo, was commissioned in 2020 to celebrate the then Prince of Wales’s 50 years as a member of The Drapers’ Company in 2022.

 

The portrait, which was unveiled on Tuesday afternoon at Buckingham Palace, depicts Charles wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which he was made Regimental Colonel in 1975.

 

The uniform of the Welsh Guards inspired the colour red, which was painted over much of the portrait, as Yeo said he felt like this portrait should have more of a “dynamic and contemporary feel”.

 

A butterfly is hovering over the King’s shoulder in the portrait, which was added in by Yeo at Charles’s suggestion.

 

After the unveiling, Yeo said he would “love to take full credit for that” but it was “actually the subject’s idea”.

 

During a conversation with the King, Yeo said they discussed how it would be “nice to have a narrative element which referenced his passion for nature and environment” and he spoke of how Charles “changed jobs halfway through the process” and the butterfly is a “symbol of metamorphosis” so it “tells multiple stories”.

 

After Yeo’s speech, the King joked “it’s nice to know I was a chrysalis when you first met me,” which was met with laughter.

 

The Queen said she “hopes it is going to be seen by lots of people” after the unveiling.

 

The canvas size – approximately eight and a half by six and a half feet when framed – was carefully considered to fit within the architecture of Drapers’ Hall and the context of the paintings it will eventually hang alongside.

 

Yeo had four sittings with the King, beginning when Charles was Prince of Wales in June 2021 at Highgrove, and later at Clarence House. The last sitting took place in November 2023 at Clarence House.

 

Yeo also worked from drawings and photographs he took of the King, allowing him to work on the portrait in his London studio between sittings.

 

He said: “It was a privilege and pleasure to have been commissioned by The Drapers’ Company to paint this portrait of His Majesty The King, the first to be unveiled since his coronation.

 

“When I started this project, His Majesty The King was still His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, and much like the butterfly I’ve painted hovering over his shoulder, this portrait has evolved as the subject’s role in our public life has transformed.

 

“I do my best to capture the life experiences etched into any individual sitter’s face. In this case, my aim was also to make reference to the traditions of royal portraiture but in a way that reflects a 21st-century monarchy and, above all else, to communicate the subject’s deep humanity.

 

“I’m unimaginably grateful for the opportunity to capture such an extraordinary and unique person, especially at the historic moment of becoming King.”

 

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/newslondon/first-official-portrait-of-king-charles-since-coronation-unveiled/ar-BB1mnxwW

 

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