Waymo returns to freeways after 13 failures

Waymo began restoring freeway routes in Phoenix after software fixes responding to at least 13 construction-zone incursions and a recall of nearly 4,000 robotaxis. The company’s restart, reported by TechCrunch, adds scene-recognition and routing updates after more than two months of restrictions; Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area are due to follow. For robotics teams using simulation as a 20-to-1 screening funnel before scarce hardware trials, Waymo’s sixth recall is the reminder that deployment still needs monitored edge-case evidence, not only aggregate autonomy miles.