Self-Driving · December 2025Gaffe level: Blunder
Waymo to update software after San Francisco power outage snarls self-driving vehicles
When a PG&E substation fire killed the lights across a third of San Francisco, Waymo's fleet responded by freezing at dark intersections with hazards blinking, turning robotaxis into very expensive road cones. Waymo crossed 7,000 dark signals fine but had to suspend service because its remote-help team got swamped asking humans to confirm every crossing.
Source: Reuters
SkyFall's StarGate Drone Evacuated Two Wounded Soldiers From the Front Line
Ukraine's 475th Separate Assault Regiment says it used the purpose-built StarGate drone to evacuate two seriously wounded soldiers in the space of a week, flying one casualty nearly 20 miles to reach him and about the same distance back. Ground vehicles could not reach the men because of water obstacles and attack-drone threats, and the covered, medical-grade stretcher module kept each casualty protected in flight. The regiment now plans a dedicated aerial medical evacuation unit, turning one-off rescues into a repeatable capability.
Source: The War Zone