Experiment went wrong: autonomous vehicle lost control and crashed into a police car

A video in which a remotely operated vehicle crashes into a police car in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad has gone viral on social media.

According to the Pakistani daily "Dawn," the collision was caused by a technical glitch originating from a disruption in the internet connection. The footage was uploaded on Sunday by a Pakistani reporter who was sitting in the vehicle during the experiment, which was conducted in the secure government complex of the capital, near the parliament building.

In the video, the reporter is seen explaining the vehicle's features as it begins to move. The steering, operated remotely, suddenly goes out of control and the vehicle hits a police car parked on the side of the road. The reporter pulls the handbrake in an attempt to stop it, but without success.

The reporter told "Dawn" that he was invited to cover the development by a technology enthusiast who developed the system. According to him, "Everything was going well until a technical glitch occurred due to an internet disruption." He explained that the vehicle was controlled remotely, and a sudden disconnection of the internet caused the loss of control.

"Not completely reliable"

On Monday, the reporter published a clarification post on social media. He wrote that he did not intend to harm the young man who owns the vehicle, and that his goal was to call for caution until the new technology is tested and proven safe.

"It was a message of caution, not an attempt to harm anyone," he added.

In the same post, he wrote that the vehicle's system is still not "completely safe and reliable," and noted that the incident occurred in a secure area where traffic is sparse. According to him, had it happened on a busy road, "the results could have been very dangerous, even fatal."