Autopilot 2.0 rock steady in heavy rain video - version 8.1

[calisnow]

The actual situation was much lower visibility to the naked eye than the video makes it out to be. My Google Pixel brightens dark scenes and picks up a lot of detail my own eyes don't. I took this video because I was quite surprised autopilot didn't give up and wasn't wandering all over the lane in what seemed to me like quite heavy rain and low visibility.

 

[scottf200]

I've been amazed on several occasions how well AP1 does too in the rain. I've been in such heavy rain that I manually put the windshield wipers on fast just to try and help AP. I, of course, and holding the wheel a little more and being even more attentive during these drives. It sees better than I do and the radar can pick up cars ahead too.

 

[suraj1194]

Yes, AP1 tracks in heavy rain at freeway speeds extremely well. However, it does take more time to acquire in such such conditions. Until there's sufficient forward visibility, it refuses to engage AP, until there's a lull where visibility improves enough. But once engaged, it tracks like a rail even as conditions worsen. I've seen this behavior since 8.0 days, through the course of this very long NorCal rainy season.

 

[croman]

AP2 is solid in heavy snow, heavy rain, fog. I have only had the radar get drenched and fail to operate once while getting stuck behind a semi's wash. It came back online 5 minutes later.

 

[rpm001]

That's downright scary. I wouldn't try AP in adverse conditions personally. In fact I was even wondering if it would automatically disable if the wipers were on high or something like that.

 

[scottf200]

That's downright scary. I wouldn't try AP in adverse conditions personally. In fact I was even wondering if it would automatically disable if the wipers were on high or something like that.

So in the future autonomous cars just stop working when there are storms? I used it in rain and not snow because with rain the painted road lines are visible. Seriously tho it is not that scary as both your hands are on the steering wheel and you are watching the road verifying that AP is working as expected. I think it can actually be safer as radar can respond faster than you can. And if you are in traffic it can see two cars ahead.

 

[electracity]

"Heavy Rain" with wipers on intermittent?

That's SoCal heavy rain. Actual heavy rain is where you really should pull over because the wipers can't keep up and the tires aren't in good contact with the pavement.

 

[croman]

I will say, Tesla wipers are inadequate for heavy rains. I turn that sucker on full blast during Midwest T-Storms and its flings water around but not as efficiently as it should be doing. My LEAF was so much better and that's saying something. I was hoping auto wipers would help but it looks like Tesla is really struggling with those.

 

[suraj1194]

It doesn't randomly disable in the rain. The AP1 behavioral protocol is predictable. When conditions worsen to such a point that AP is struggling to keep tracking lanes or cars in front, it will generate steering wheel vibration as it does for the lane change warning. It will also flash the sign asking for hands on steering wheel if it detects minimal to no torque from the driver. This ensures the system tries hard to failover graciously to the driver instead of continuing under minimal confidence level and then unexpectedly disengaging with potentially dangerous results.

 

[Sir Guacamolaf]

I haven't had the balls to let AP drive for me in rain. However, with AP1, in good weather, on a freeway, it's pretty much on it's own. They ... could .. almost remove that nag even.

So the way I see it, when AP2 finally matures, perhaps AP2 will be as good at in-town + freeway, as AP1 is on freeway.
i.e. in a year or so,
AP1 - exit to exit
AP2 - door to door

.. at least such is my hope

 

[suraj1194]

It's not obvious to me that AP1 will ever reliably perform exit to exit driving, including autonomous lane changes. Right now, as I understand it, it depends on the ultrasound sensors to switch lanes. But that strikes me as a very unreliable mechanism, because it's completely oblivious to sudden traffic incursion within my flanks. At least, I would not trust it to do that, and would always check whether the coast is clear. This is because it literally cannot see further an a few feet out. AP2 has the necessary quarterpanel cameras to cover the flanks, but AP1 does not. Maybe during non rush hours with the coast largely clear, AP1 is fine. But not in typical Bay Area gridlocks.

Driving in the rain on the other hand, AP1 has already demonstrated its ability at. I always advocate hands on wheel of course, but with that done, it's very effective indeed.

 

[croman]

AP1 was never supposed to lane change without driver input. Only EAP will do that because of the rear facing cameras.

 

[Electric1]

With limited [300 mo] experience using AP 2 8.1 in an X in heavy rain at night, it rocks. Kept me from hitting debris in the fast lane that i would not have seen in time. X windsheld also blew itself very clean.

That said, i still wouldn't let go of the wheel. Maybe someday, not now though.