Uber ATG, Tempe: an unstated operating assumption
The NTSB found the system did not account for pedestrians outside crosswalks.
- Programme
- Uber ATG automated test vehicle
- Year
- 2018
- Sector
- Automotive
- Outcome
- A pedestrian was killed
What happened
A pedestrian was killed in Tempe, Arizona, in a collision involving an Uber ATG automated test vehicle.
What was found
The NTSB found that the system did not account for pedestrians outside crosswalks.
That was an unstated operating assumption, and because it was never stated, it was never tested.
Engineering lesson
Every automated system carries assumptions about the world it operates in. Those that are not written down cannot be challenged, verified or monitored.
Operational design domain assumptions are requirements, and need the same treatment as any other requirement.
The practice this points to
Capture operational design domain assumptions explicitly as requirements, including the behaviour expected outside the assumed conditions.
Trace each assumption to verification, and review the set when the intended operating environment changes.
Where Kelvora fits
Kelvora is a requirements and assurance platform that lets teams record operating assumptions as requirements and trace them to verification. It can help make visible which assumptions have no test evidence behind them, for engineers to address.
Sources
- NTSB, Highway Accident Report HAR-19/03 (2019).