Seen a robotaxi stopped for no reason? It'll move again soon
Share this @internewscast.com

AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) Have you seen a robotaxi stop, but the road ahead is clear of obstacles? Over the last week, so did affiliate KXAN employees.

Between May 31 and June 3, multiple self-driving cars stopped on W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in front of the KXAN station. The vehicles paused before a low-hanging tree branch.

Waymo robotaxis stop because of a low hanging branch. (KXAN Photo/Ed Zavala)

But after several seconds, the car would enter the oncoming lane and pass the empty space. Human-driven cars navigated the branch without delay after the driverless cars moved.

When a situation like this happens, the vehicle is likely functioning as it should.

The cars, operated by robotaxi company Waymo, use a combination of cameras, radar and lidar to detect objects in front of and around them. A Waymo spokesperson told KXAN that the branch may have been low enough to enter the top part of the cars’ sensor map.

The spokesperson explained that the company approaches these incidents with ample caution. The car notifies a Waymo employee, who will remotely examine and intervene to get the vehicle safely moving again.

And the tree? City of Austin workers stopped by and trimmed the branch Tuesday afternoon.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Heartfelt Candlelight Vigil Unites Community in Tribute to Ybor City Crash Victims

A touching candlelight vigil took place Saturday evening on East Seventh Avenue…

Nationwide Flight Reductions Cause Minor Disruptions at Tri Cities Airport

BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) – As the government shutdown stretches into its fifth…

Tragic Incident in Ybor: Speeding Vehicle Claims 4 Lives, Injures 11 Others

In TAMPA (WFLA), a tragic collision in Ybor early Saturday claimed four…

Century-Old Secrets Unearthed: 117-Year-Old Time Capsule Opened in Big Stone Gap

BIG STONE GAP, Va. (WJHL) — On Saturday, Big Stone Gap welcomed…

Scandal Unveiled: Leaked Documents Reveal Meta’s Multi-Billion Dollar Earnings from Scam Advertisements

Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is…

Storm Team 3 Forecast: Brace for a Sunny Weekend Before Cold Front Hits Next Week

SAVANNAH, Ga. () – A dramatic weather shift is on the horizon…

Truckers Face 40% Decline in Baja-California Deliveries by End of 2025: Economic and Supply Chain Implications

In a challenging year for the trucking industry in the San Diego-Tijuana…

Heroic Rescue: Ohio School Van Blaze Leaves Passengers Stranded Inside

[Watch in the player above: What occurs during a 911 call?] PARMA,…

WJHL Football Retrospective: A Historical Journey Through the Years with Hurley, Grundy, and Twin Valley

SOUTHWEST, Va. (WJHL) — The 2025 football season signifies a major turning…

DHS Reports Gunfire Targeting Border Patrol Agents in Chicago

Watch the video above: Recent immigration raids in Chicagoland have resulted in…

Brace for Intense Storms and Gusty Winds Ahead of Central Florida’s Upcoming Cold Snap

ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida experienced a warm day today, with temperatures reaching…

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Temporarily Blocks Full SNAP Payments Order Amid Ongoing Legal Battle

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has temporarily paused an order that…