Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Autonomous Car Progress

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
Before and after Super Cruise Expansion:

GM-Super-Cruise-expansion-Before.jpg


GM-Super-Cruise-expansion-After.jpg


I think it is a precursor to releasing Ultra Cruise. If it is, Ultra Cruise will be available on a lot of US roads based on that expansion map.
 
Before and after Super Cruise Expansion:

I think it is a precursor to releasing Ultra Cruise. If it is, Ultra Cruise will be available on a lot of US roads based on that expansion map.
They are carefully expanding supported roads and capability. Super Cruise used to only work on limited divided highways but after the update it will now work on non-divided state and federal highways / routes that connect smaller cities and towns. In theory, now Super Cruise should take you from Chicago to Los Angeles. It's good to see some tangible progress from GM in their ADAS. Using high-definition maps that is scalable for all paved roads in a country.
 

Here is a bit more info from The Verge:

Super Cruise, the “hands-free” advanced driver-assist system (ADAS) from General Motors, will soon be available on a lot more roads in North America. GM announced today that, later this year, the ADAS system will be able to operate on 400,000 miles of roads, including non-divided highways — which would essentially double Super Cruise’s current coverage in the US and Canada.


So the map expansion will benefit Super Cruise users later this year. Also note that Super Cruise will work on non-divided highways.

But I have no doubt this map expansion will be used for Ultra Cruise too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bitdepth and Tam
"Hands off" and "SAE level 2" at the same time sounds like an enourmous risk. Add non-divided highways... Wonder what GM is thinking.

Some AutoSteer like GM Super Cruise and MobilEye SuperVision is stable enough, so they allow hands-off. On the other hand, Tesla's Autosteer is not stable enough as it can steer in the wrong direction at any unpredictable time. Its Autosteer function can be suddenly disabled with no advanced warnings.

Non-divided highways might get into a similar accident as the first documented Tesla Autopilot fatal accident in 2016: The car would not stop for a semi-truck crossing the road in front.

GM Super Cruise and MobilEye SuperVision do not have LIDAR on board, but maybe they would train their cameras better for the 2016 scenario.

GM Ultra Cruise comes with LIDAR on board, so the 2016 fatal scenario should be handled fine.
 
  • Like
Reactions: diplomat33
Aurora tweeted an update on their progress:
  • We expect the #AuroraDriver to be feature complete by the end of the first quarter of 2023. Our progress has been strong across multiple fronts: safety, capabilities, and pilots.
  • We achieved our fault management milestone.
  • The Aurora Driver can now navigate increasingly complex surface streets.
  • The Aurora Driver can safely handle long downhill grades using engine braking.
  • The Aurora Driver safely aborts planned lane changes when necessary.
  • We've doubled our commercial miles and improved autonomy performance.

 
  • Informative
Reactions: Jeff N
"Hands off" and "SAE level 2" at the same time sounds like an enourmous risk. Add non-divided highways... Wonder what GM is thinking.

SuperCruise has a very good camera based driver monitoring to make sure the driver is alert and it is restricted to its ODD. Also, I would imagine there would be safeguards for when the driver is allowed to go hands-free and alerts if the driver does need to take over. I would think GM has taken precautions to ensure a robust system. If you watch videos of Super Cruise, it seems really good at making sure the driver is alert and that the system is being used responsibly IMO.
 
"Hands off" and "SAE level 2" at the same time sounds like an enourmous risk. Add non-divided highways... Wonder what GM is thinking.

I was right. GM took precautions for non-divided highways by limiting the features:

In addition, Super Cruise cannot handle traffic signals and stop signs, meaning that the system will notify the driver when an intersection is 350 meters away (or 500 meters for non-VIP vehicles) so they can take control of the vehicle. And Super Cruise will not allow automatic lane changes on two-lane highways. In other words, it won’t cross either broken yellow or solid yellow lane markings.

 
Non-divided highways might get into a similar accident as the first documented Tesla Autopilot fatal accident in 2016: The car would not stop for a semi-truck crossing the road in front.
That was a divided highway, just not controlled access. That stretch of US-27A is added to Super Cruise in this update. There is no traffic light at the intersection with NE 140th Ct. I don't know how GM would handle a truck (or car, etc.) turning across their path. They can't hand off control 500m before every intersection -- they're spaced a lot closer than that on most of that road.
 
That was a divided highway, just not controlled access.
Thanks for the correction, as I was confused.
That stretch of US-27A is added to Super Cruise in this update. There is no traffic light at the intersection with NE 140th Ct. I don't know how GM would handle a truck (or car, etc.) turning across their path. They can't hand off control 500m before every intersection -- they're spaced a lot closer than that on most of that road.
In 2016, the Tesla camera was trained to recognize the rear of vehicles and not the sides.

Thus, if Super Cruise has updated the database for its cameras to recognize the sides of vehicles as well, let's hope there won't be a collision.
 
That was a divided highway, just not controlled access. That stretch of US-27A is added to Super Cruise in this update. There is no traffic light at the intersection with NE 140th Ct. I don't know how GM would handle a truck (or car, etc.) turning across their path. They can't hand off control 500m before every intersection -- they're spaced a lot closer than that on most of that road.

GM's FAQs currently say Supercruise does not detect cross traffic at all, so unless they update the system to support that, it is not expected functionality.
"Super Cruise will not brake the vehicle when approaching an intersection that is controlled by a traffic light or stop sign. Super Cruise will not detect vehicles crossing the road ahead, including at intersections, and will not automatically steer or brake to prevent a collision. You must manually brake and steer the vehicle. It is important that you always stay engaged and vigilant at all times while driving."
Super Cruise: Hands-Free Driving, Cutting Edge Technology

They may leave that part in the manual regardless, because it limits their liability. From GM's recent move to waive Bolt owner's rights to sue if they took the $5000 rebate, it seems their lawyers are looking out for the company in every way.
Chevrolet Bolt Owners Must Waive Right To Sue GM To Get Cash Rebates
 
  • Informative
Reactions: Doggydogworld
Aurora pushes back their timeline for autonomous commercial truck deployment to first half of 2024:

According to Aurora (NASDAQ: AUR) CEO and Co-Founder Chris Urmson, the company now expects to have a commercial trucking platform available in the first half of 2024, a pushback from its original intent to offer the platform before the end of 2023. Urmson made the announcement during the company’s Q2 earnings call on Wednesday.

Urmson cited current supply chain-related constraints and other challenges facing the trucking industry more broadly as some of the reasons for the delay.

 
In 2016, the Tesla camera was trained to recognize the rear of vehicles and not the sides.
Joshua Brown had a Mobileye car. My best guess is it only used the camera for lane lines and used radar lock for car-following. The tendency to plow into stopped vehicles tells me that system was not trained to recognize vehicle rear ends. Early non-Mobileye AP worked the same way, IMHO.

Super Cruise uses Mobileye (I think EyeQ4). As you say that system processes images much better than early Tesla AP, but driver monitoring is probably the real key to avoiding Joshua Brown-style deaths. I'd love to see people test Super Cruise against crossing traffic, but the Tesla enthusiast community is really quite unique in pushing the limits and reporting the results. Well, at least the good ones. But a few honest brokers (e.g. Chuck Cook) show the bad with the good.
 
  • Like
Reactions: diplomat33
Motional announced that they plan to launch a fully driverless public ride-hailing service on the Lyft network in Las Vegas next year:

Motional, a global leader in driverless technology, and Lyft, Inc.(Nasdaq: LYFT) today announced the planned launch of a fully driverless public ride-hail service in Las Vegas, the first city in a multimarket deployment. Motional’s next-generation robotaxis, the all-electric Hyundai IONIQ 5-based robotaxi, will be available on the Lyft app in Las Vegas, starting in 2023. The deployment is part of a landmark partnership between Motional and Lyft announced last year.

 
  • Like
Reactions: Jeff N
SuperCruise has a very good camera based driver monitoring to make sure the driver is alert and it is restricted to its ODD. Also, I would imagine there would be safeguards for when the driver is allowed to go hands-free and alerts if the driver does need to take over. I would think GM has taken precautions to ensure a robust system. If you watch videos of Super Cruise, it seems really good at making sure the driver is alert and that the system is being used responsibly IMO.
Sure, but they should then rather call it a Level 3 system and let the user not pay attention.

Paying visual attention is not enough if one need to take over in a split second to correct an error of the system. Then one would need hands on the wheel to immediately take control.

Also, hands on the wheel will much earlier warn the driver of a system error than visual could (e.g. lane marker sensing error resulting in drifting outside the lane).

Adding oncoming traffic where the distance between cars is less than a meter, meaning less than a second before the car is in the oncoming lane.

Not being ready to intervene, but needing to be very alert to intervene very fast seems contradictory.

I much prefer the European brands concept of "steer with the car"/"human-machine blended" lvl 2, with touch sensors nagging every 5 seconds, as BMW and VAG have.
 
Sure, but they should then rather call it a Level 3 system and let the user not pay attention.

Paying visual attention is not enough if one need to take over in a split second to correct an error of the system. Then one would need hands on the wheel to immediately take control.

Also, hands on the wheel will much earlier warn the driver of a system error than visual could (e.g. lane marker sensing error resulting in drifting outside the lane).

Adding oncoming traffic where the distance between cars is less than a meter, meaning less than a second before the car is in the oncoming lane.

Not being ready to intervene, but needing to be very alert to intervene very fast seems contradictory.

I much prefer the European brands concept of "steer with the car"/"human-machine blended" lvl 2, with touch sensors nagging every 5 seconds, as BMW and VAG have.

GM cannot just call it L3. L3 implies that the system can do all driving tasks when engaged. Super Cruise cannot do all driving tasks. It just does lane keeping and adaptive cruise control. So it is clearly L2.

Being alert and eyes on the road is more effective than having your hands on the wheel. That's because it is possible to have your hands on the wheel and not be paying attention to the road. And if you are not paying attention, having your hands on the wheel won't matter. But if you are alert and paying attention to the road, it is very easy to take control if needed since your hands will be very close to the steering wheel.

Also, Super Cruise does not allow lane changes on non-divided highways to prevent accidental crossing into incoming traffic. Plus with HD maps, the car will stay in the lane and won't cross into incoming traffic. So that is not a risk.
 
Sure, but they should then rather call it a Level 3 system and let the user not pay attention....
In L3, the manufacturers take responsibility for any mishaps during its operation (L3 does not operate above the highway speed of 37MPH):

Mercedes-Benz EQS Drive Pilot: Been on sale in Germany this summer.

Honda Sensing Elite Traffic Jam Pilot: Only 100 leases in Japan since March last year.

GM does not take responsibility for any accidents in both Super Cruise and Ultra Cruise because they are classified as L2: The driver is responsible for the drive.