Autopilot issues with hills (AP1)

[murphyS90D]

If both hands are on the wheel and you feel the wheel start to turn when it shouldn't it is very easy to stop the turn before it has time to do much of a turn. Yes both of my hands are on the wheel and I am anticipating what I expect the car to do next. If it tries to do something different it immediately gets aborted.

 

[fren]

it s still a problem in some part of french roads but it's much much better than 2 years ago ( 2018.48.12.1 )

 

[phaphaphooey]

There haven't been any changes to AP1 in over two years. However, AP1 will crest hills significantly better if following another vehicle, so this could explain the difference you saw.

Source on your statement? Experiences on the forum from other AP1 owners contradict your statement.

Also, this is a remote stretch of road with few other vehicles around. I wasn't following another vehicle.

 

[GlmnAlyAirCar]

Source on your statement? Experiences on the forum from other AP1 owners contradict your statement.

Also, this is a remote stretch of road with few other vehicles around. I wasn't following another vehicle.

wk_057. Let me find his info.....

Here you go: Navigate on Autopilot is Useless (2018.42.3)

 

[GlmnAlyAirCar]

Source on your statement? Experiences on the forum from other AP1 owners contradict your statement.

Also, this is a remote stretch of road with few other vehicles around. I wasn't following another vehicle.

Pay close attention the the blue lines. AP1 will crest hills best when it loses the blue lines. At this point it is not following the lines; rather using deduced reckoning based on perceived driveable surface. It's ironic that with less information it performs better.

My experience is that cresting the same hill over and over the car will dart left or right (very repeatably) 90 or so percent of the time. The remaining ten percent it will lost the lane lines at just the right place and crest it very nicely.

At one point I had theorized that map tiles were getting better in certain places, causing the AP to weigh it's position relative to the database more highly than the lane lines. But from what I can tell that doesn't seem to be the case; it is just dumb luck. Of course, there might be those in other parts of the country where there are much better map tiles and as a result may experience better cresting behavior than I do.

 

[robby]

It has always been an issue with AP1 and is the major reason that I don't trust AP1. It tells me they are not computing a true course to follow like your brain does. Instead they are looking at the edge of the road right in front of the car like a new driver does until his instructor tells him not to do that. I still remember that warning from my Dad when I was 16.

Oh, they compute a path all right. Just be glad they don't follow it!

 

[Jashev]

Slightly off topic, but I was driving a 2019 Audi Q5 with lane assistant and on a completely flat road when the car lost lane markings it would veer left. It might be the dumbest coding or bug I've ever seen hearing AP1 do the same thing sounds like they are using the same logic in coding.

Audi uses the Mobileye system that is in AP1 so not a surprise.

 

[Jashev]

Source on your statement? Experiences on the forum from other AP1 owners contradict your statement.

Also, this is a remote stretch of road with few other vehicles around. I wasn't following another vehicle.

I have found the same performance. I have a few steep hills that I travel on a daily basis near my home, so I already know to keep my hands on the wheel as I approach the crest of these hills. If there is a vehicle in front of me, it turns blue on my screen and the car will follow that vehicle and I don't get the lane veering behavior. I would also add, that the behavior happens less often if I am at the speed limit instead of 5 over.

As I said, I drive those hills at least once a day, usually two or three times a day and the behavior has been consistent.

 

[Lucky_Man]

AP2 used to have the same problem but they fixed it in 2018. I didn't realize it was still an issue with AP1.

If you're interested in a test, try taking your AP2 southbound on Hwy 105, specifically just north of Perry Park. There is a small rise that very briefly blocks the view of the road surface. On the other side, the road turns sharply right. Please be careful, and watch for oncoming traffic. Our AP1 MS crosses the center line each time we tried it.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

If you're interested in a test, try taking your AP2 southbound on Hwy 105, specifically just north of Perry Park. There is a small rise that very briefly blocks the view of the road surface. On the other side, the road turns sharply right. Please be careful, and watch for oncoming traffic. Our AP1 MS crosses the center line each time we tried it.

Thanks for the tip. I checked the map and think I see the spot you are talking about. If we make it down to that spot, I'll let you know how it works.

 

[Mull031496]

This is a dangerous issue. Was given a 2015 85 with AP1 as a loaner while my M3 is in for service. Good thing that I keep my hands on the wheel because coming up a hill that my M3 crested on Autopilot many times without issue, the model S attempted to steer into oncoming traffic. It happened quickly and without warning. Sure, I grabbed the wheel when it turned abruptly - but This is gonna kill someone.

 

[UBQP]

I understand that the camera loses it's picture. When I'm steering and I lose my vision, like cresting a hill and suddenly having the sun blasting into my eyes, my reaction is NEVER to steer into oncoming traffic. Never.

This is the thing I have never understood about AP1 and hills.

As it approaches and crests a hill, the default direction should be to continue going in the direction it had been, e.g. going straight. Instead the default seems to be "veer into traffic". Odd.

 

[murphyS90D]

As it approaches and crests a hill, the default direction should be to continue going in the direction it had been, e.g. going straight. Instead the default seems to be "veer into traffic". Odd.

I agree. They should be following a true course plot. It appears the car is doing what I did after I got my driver's permit a very very long time ago. I was watching the road directly in front of the car. My Dad very quickly made me stop doing that. At the crest of a very steep hill they lose the lines at the edges of the road because the camera is looking out into space. The car starts doing ping pong steering looking for the lines. Back in 2016 it would go right and then left. I don't know when it started going left first. Maybe they put the UK version in my car.