This is a second article in a series from Prof. Amnon Shashua to explain the mathematical model for autonomous vehicles (AV) from Mobileye, an Intel company. Shashua believes that in order for the AV industry to move from science experiment to critical mass the autonomous industry must prove the safety of its technology. The Mobileye plan shows how standards of accident fault and vehicle safety are needed to advance the industry.
We architected the Responsibility-Sensitive Safety (RSS) model as a catalyst to drive cross-industry discussion among industry groups, car manufacturers and regulatory bodies. Since its publication, my co-authors and I have received many positive affirmations, but it has also raised some very important questions, which was our goal since the beginning of this project. One critical line of questioning centers around the idea that human judgment involves legal, safety and cultural considerations, while the RSS model seems to be focused only on the legal aspect. The notion that RSS is designed to make manufacturers immune to liability is a misunderstanding that demands further explanation.
