‘System failure’ cripples Baidu robotics in China

Robotaxis operated by Baidu subsidiary Apollo Go 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 that at least 100 robo-taxis were parked due to a “system malfunction”. An unknown technical error caused the robot to freeze suddenly, sometimes in dangerous places like 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 outage in California last December took out traffic signals, causing Waymo cars to stall.