Comma.ai, the startup founded by hacker George Hotz, is facing a federal investigation after five reported crashes involving the company’s aftermarket hands-off driver assistance tech, two of which resulted in three deaths.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) said this week that the reported crashes involved Comma devices failing to detect or respond to slow or stopped vehicles in the same road lane. Across four of the crashes, as many as 11 people were injured, some seriously.

Some of the crashes, including at least one of the fatal incidents, may have involved the use of “forked” or modified versions of Comma.ai’s software, according to the ODI.

Comma.ai could not immediately be reached for comment. Hotz, who distanced himself from the startup’s day-to-day operations in 2022, did not immediately return a request for comment.

Founded in 2015, Comma.ai makes devices that can be installed on a range of modern cars. The devices — and Comma.ai’s software, “openpilot,” — can control a car’s Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Automated Lane Centering (ALC) systems to perform functions “similar to Tesla Autopilot and GM Super Cruise,” according to the startup’s website. The goal is to “make driving chill.”

” The company’s device uses a camera-based driver monitoring system to watch for distracted or sleepy drivers.

Source link