Auto park FAIL

[RogerHScott]

As shown in the above crudely-drawn diagram, I experienced total auto park FAIL yesterday. I was trying to park
in the second -- and only open -- spot in a row of perpendicular stalls. Being unable to sense the car just past the
first (occupied) stall, the car backed up until I applied the brake. I then let it continue to see what it would do and it
continued backward until the tires hit the curb, I think just grazing the underside of the back bumper on the top of
the curb. The car seemed totally flummoxed by its then inability to continue backward and it "gave up in frustration".
It doesn't even say anything explicit like "auto park failed" -- it just quietly gives up.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that Tesla must add front and rear sensors that can detect curbs to prevent
an ever-growing number of auto park and summon-related encounters with curbs and other low obstacles (I've
also encountered someone marking the edge of pavement with a row of rocks ).

 

[Blueeyedme]

Not to be rude, but we all know that we are beta testers...why would you let it continue when it was clearly failing to move to the open space? Btw, when I hit the brake, auto park cancels.

 

[RogerHScott]

why would you let it continue when it was clearly failing to move to the open space?

Well, rude to quote myself: "I then let it continue to see what it would do". I.e., wanted to better understand what it was
trying to do.

when I hit the brake, auto park cancels

Curious. Mine pauses.

 

[sorka]

Not to be a smart arse, but we all know that we are beta testers...why would you let it continue when it was clearly failing to move to the open space? Btw, when I hit the brake, auto park cancels.

I didn't realize that. I did not sign up for Tesla beta testing and signed no NDA.

 

[Edmond]

You'd parked way too close to the space, and the car was hunting for where you wanted it. It aimed for the 'open space'.

You have to pull up way more than this for the car to find the space.

 

[vgrinshpun]

It appears that either Auto Park soft button on the screen did not work, or OP did not activate it (a miss?), and the car proceeded backing up as it was already in reverse. This also might be the reason that stopping car in the middle of this maneuver by applying the brake did not cancel the Auto Park (as it was not engaged), and once the brake pedal was released the car just continued backing up until it hit the curb.

 

[eye.surgeon]

Don't use it if you can't deal with sub-100% performance. I love how you let it hit the curb. You're still driving the car FYI.

 

[RogerHScott]

You'd parked way too close to the space, and the car was hunting for where you wanted it. It aimed for the 'open space'.

You have to pull up way more than this for the car to find the space.

Can you explain this more? The car showed the P indicator, meaning it located a space -- right? Or is that indicator not reliable?
Given that it require the space to be between two other cars (in order for it to have position references on both sides) I don't see
how it could have been trying to park in the space with the curb around it. I believe it was merely trying to use that space for
maneuvering into the desired space and, due to its inability to sense the curb, ran into the curb. Do you see any evidence here
to contradict that theory?

 

[RogerHScott]

It appears that either Auto Park soft button on the screen did not work, or OP did not activate it (a miss?), and the car proceeded backing up as it was already in reverse. This also might be the reason that stopping car in the middle of this maneuver by applying the brake did not cancel the Auto Park (as it was not engaged), and once the brake pedal was released the car just continued backing up until it hit the curb.

I don't have it in creep mode so it wouldn't back up on its own even if it were in reverse. Auto park was definitely activated.

 

[RogerHScott]

Don't use it if you can't deal with sub-100% performance. I love how you let it hit the curb. You're still driving the car FYI.

So you don't want it to get better? That's a shame. I do.
It didn't "hit" the curb -- it bumped into it at about 1/2 mph. I was paying very close attention -- with my foot hovering over the
brake pedal -- since it was pretty obvious it didn't know what it was doing.

 

[ecarfan]

Agree that Tesla needs sensors that can detect curbs and other low obstacles. But as of now, no sensor is perfect. Ultimately, the driver has to monitor their surroundings and be ready to intervene.

If the OP had moved far enough past the open parking stall and the center display showed the "P" indicator, then this case does seem like an Auto Park failure.

 

[vgrinshpun]

I don't have it in creep mode so it wouldn't back up on its own even if it were in reverse. Auto park was definitely activated.

It seems that Auto Park was not activated as pressing and releasing the brake in the mid of the maneuver did not "cancel" it.

Regarding the creep being off on your car, car can still roll back after releasing the brake pedal if it is on incline.

To make it clear, the above is just an attempt at deciphering situation, and in no way an attempt to dismiss the incident.

The reason I think my theory is likely the correct one, is that it is difficult to assume that there were two failure of Auto Park during the single maneuver: i.e. failure of the Auto Park to see the available parking spot and steer the car accordingly, and then not being cancelled after applying the brakes.

 

[RogerHScott]

It seems that Auto Park was not activated as pressing and releasing the brake in the mid of the maneuver did not "cancel" it.

I'll double check next chance I get, but I'm pretty sure it said "paused" after I tapped the brake and I then resumed it.

car can still roll back after releasing the brake pedal if it is on incline

Not likely with the hold feature (which I find I'm taking advantage of more and more now that I'm more aware of it).
Also, no incline whatsoever. Totally, utterly flat. This is northern Indiana we're talking about here

failure of the Auto Park to see the available parking spot

This is not part of my theory. My theory is that it saw the intended spot just fine, but ran into the "unseen" curb in the course
of its normal maneuvering sequence. Had the curb not been there it might have executed the parking maneuver just fine.
It would be interesting to set up an equivalent configuration (open spot in the second stall [only]) without the curb in the way
and see how it does.

 

[ecarfan]

My theory is that it saw the intended spot just fine, but ran into the "unseen" curb in the course
of its normal maneuvering sequence. Had the curb not been there it might have executed the parking maneuver just fine.

I appreciate that your drawing is only an approximation, but based on what you drew it seems possible that the car did not properly identify the open parking stall since it backed well past it and into the curb just past the adjacent stall which was occupied.

I have watched, in real life, Tesla's AutoPark themselves in perpendicular stalls, and watched videos of that operation, and I've never seen one go past the open stall any significant distance.

 

[RogerHScott]

It seems that Auto Park was not activated as pressing and releasing the brake in the mid of the maneuver did not "cancel" it.

Quoting directly from the manual: "Note: If you press the brake when Autopark is actively parking Model S, the parking process pauses until you press the Resume button on the touchscreen."

 

[RogerHScott]

More from the manual: "Note: Autopark detects potential perpendicular parking spaces that are at least 9.5 feet (2.9 meters) wide with a vehicle parked on each side." [emphasis added]
So this casts considerable doubt on the theories that it thought the open space before the first car was its destination.
Now if the real problem is that it correctly identified the open second stall, but then "expected" me to pull up farther before attempting
to park (i.e., engaging the auto park maneuver), then, ok, but that seems like kind of a stupid design. It knows full well how far forward
you've traveled (or not) since it detected the space. If it needs to pull up, it should just do that. If not, it should either complain or refuse
to proceed. Proceeding from a starting point it knows it can't succeed from (and which might lead it who-knows-where) just seems
wrong.

 

[Blueeyedme]

Well, not-smart-arse, to quote myself: "I then let it continue to see what it would do". I.e., wanted to better understand what it was
trying to do.

Curious. Mine pauses.

Fair enough...I guess I am not willing to risk damage to see what happens.

 

[Blueeyedme]

I didn't realize that. I did not sign up for Tesla beta testing and signed no NDA.

As I recall, it is very clearly spelled out on the screen when you activate the feature. Same for the autopilot. If you don't agree then you don't activate.

 

[Edmond]

Can you explain this more? The car showed the P indicator, meaning it located a space -- right? Or is that indicator not reliable?
Given that it require the space to be between two other cars (in order for it to have position references on both sides) I don't see
how it could have been trying to park in the space with the curb around it. I believe it was merely trying to use that space for
maneuvering into the desired space and, due to its inability to sense the curb, ran into the curb. Do you see any evidence here
to contradict that theory?

Yes it saw a space -- back where it couldn't see the curb. And a tree or wall may have looked like the far car. The indicator is reliable; for a machine of this era. I don't know about you, but I'm glad I'll be dead when the Machines Rise.

I'm just tellin' ya, move forward almost a car length, or else autopark will fail. Other cars may think you're passing on the spot, but it's just how the software is designed. The car can't make an immediate 90.

 

[brkaus]

Was it attempting to parallel park? Is the indication different if parallel or stall parking is detected?