On 6/12, a Xiaomi SU7 electric vehicle nosedived into a pond while attempting to self-park. The incident occurred shortly after the driver and a passenger had exited the vehicle, leaving it to park itself near the water's edge.
As the two people walked a few meters away, the electric car began to reverse, then turned left, moving closer to the pond. Instead of stopping, the SU7 continued its forward motion and plunged its front into the water. Fortunately, the car only touched the water's edge before coming to a complete stop, while the two individuals rushed over, unable to intervene.
Following the incident, many online observers criticized the car owner, deeming them reckless for exiting the vehicle next to a pond and allowing it to self-park in such a location. Questions also arose regarding liability if the car's battery pack were to get wet.
The incident occurred despite a recent software update. On 26/11, Xiaomi had rolled out an OTA update, Xiaomi Hyper OS 1.11.0, to all Xiaomi car users. This update included various improvements and optimizations for the parking system, such as parking assistance, remote parking, and a parking spot search feature.
While Xiaomi had upgraded and optimized the technology, some analysts suggested it is difficult to solely blame the car for this accident. When using smart assistance technology, drivers still bear primary responsibility for any incidents. Furthermore, the terrain where the event occurred was unusual, presenting a unique challenge for autonomous systems.
In a conventional parking lot, one might fault the car for failing to identify a parking space. However, this accident took place near a pond. It is possible the SU7 detected a "parking spot", but the water surface may have led it to mistakenly perceive the area as an empty space.
163.com commented that, whether driving or parking, drivers should ideally be present and supervise when utilizing smart assistance functions. Current technology has not yet advanced to a level that permits them to fully relinquish their responsibilities.
My Anh
