Tesla Motors Club

Dear camera savvy, driver assistance-knowledgeable and AP2HW insightful fellows. My head is full of questions about Teslas 8 x camera sensor suite. Such questions are being touched upon now and then in many different threads, but I would really like to read some more focused discussion on the topic. So:

• What capabilities and limitations can/should we expect from Teslas 8 x camera sensors, given available information about their physical position, their FOVs, range, colors, resolution etc.?

• How do the cameras compare to our human eyesight?

• How much of a difference does ambient light, artificial light (headlamps etc.) play for the camera vision?

• Are there certain scenarios where we can absolutely and definitely say that the cameras are of no help to the AP2-system?

• Also, what do you think about the physical positioning of the cameras on the vehicle? I'm also wondering about the so called "heating elements", the absence of water and dust wiping/blasting mechanisms, etc.

I'll kick off with some "maximum range" info from Teslas site and Wikipedia (which reminds me of another question: what does "maximum range" even mean? surely the 60 m range fish eye cam is in principle able to spot the moon, 1.3 light seconds away (yeah, but you get my point), so I guess "maximum range" has to do with the ability to distinguish certain critical details in traffic, i.e. something to do with resolution, or...? [/technical competence revealed/])

Forward cameras:
Narrow: 250 m (820 ft)
Main: 150 m (490 ft)
Wide: 60 m (195 ft)

Forward / side looking B-pillar cameras:
80 m (260 ft)

Rearward / side looking side repeater cameras:
100 m (330 ft)

Backup (rear view) camera:
50 m (165 ft)

And here's a quick sketchup of the camera vision, based on the official renderings:


Please, please don't destroy this thread with long discussions about radars, lidars, GPS, ultrasonic or other sensor types. OTOH, all camera talk must pass