Driverless drift: Robotics firms are developing virtual 'Fast and Furious'-style simulations to boost safety

Self-driving cars will rarely have to deal with a pack of drivers who think they are in a "Fast and Furious" movie, but training them to do so might just be what it takes to reach true autonomy. That's why Ascent Robotics Inc. is building a virtual simulation that it believes will help create self-driving automobiles capable of handling any scenario, however unlikely. The Tokyo-based startup is raising ¥1.1 billion ($10 million) in its first funding round, led by SBI Investment Co. The total distance traveled by driverless vehicles on public roads has long been considered the main metric of progress in the industry. By that measure alone, the 8 million km (5 million miles) logged by Alphabet Inc.'s Waymo would appear to be an insurmountable lead.