Autopilot lane keeping still not available over 6 months after delivery

[gizmoboy]

I noticed that Musk said "parallel self-parking" and not just "self-parking".

Sounds like those who don't have parallel garages are not getting self-parking garage features as yet...

 

[Todd Burch]

A little late, but to comment on the camera vs. eye and resolution in making out faded lines:

The issue is not the resolution of the camera, but dynamic contrast. Even film and very expensive Hollywood cameras have worse dynamic contrast than the human eye. We can see very bright and very dark things much better than cameras...and our eyes can also distinguish between two very slightly different brightness values better than a camera can.

That's really the issue with the faded lines into the sun problem (that and glare/lens flare).

 

[dsm363]

Can multiple cameras at different exposures be combined real time (like an HDR photo) to solve this?

 

[NigelM]

www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/teslas-self-driving-technology-is-getting-a-big-upgrade just now, in response to Elon's tweets:

"We’ll have to more to share in the coming weeks," Tesla spokeswoman Khobi Brooklyn told The Huffington Post in response to questions about when the new features would be available.

 

[CmdrThor]

What makes you think this isn't happening? Reports on here have shown that the AP cars are "phoning home" with lots of data, presumably about what AP saw vs. what the driver did. Meanwhile, I have seen comments (can't recall if people were suggesting or referencing comments by Elon) that AP would know where it was reasonable to be used and where not to be, so that the car would know early if it needed to get the driver to take over. I imagine that would have partly via crowdsourcing where AP wouldn't be viable in everyday driving.

Now, if they don't have your suggestion happening, I do hope they consider it for the future!

Elon confirmed via tweet that cars will share autopilot information:

 

[mwulff]

You do realize that the manual explicitly states that TACC is not to be used in conditions like that, right?

Any manual written in the "lawyer happy USA" is not worth the bits it takes to store it, basically it's just a big disclaimer . Fair enough that Tesla warns that there are edge cases where the TACC system may fail, but the fact of the matter is that the car had better vision than me at that particular time.

I was ready to intervene in case the TACC failed but it performed flawlessly even during the heaviest of rain.

Btw. The USA is not all that bad, but you do have a lot of lawyers.

 

[andreasmj]

My August 3rd bet is still looking good!

 

[mikes_fsd]

My August 3rd bet is still looking good!

August 9th, I have a nice little spot prepared for the 1:18 scale Model S

 

[wk057]

Any manual written in the "lawyer happy USA" is not worth the bits it takes to store it, basically it's just a big disclaimer . Fair enough that Tesla warns that there are edge cases where the TACC system may fail, but the fact of the matter is that the car had better vision than me at that particular time.

I was ready to intervene in case the TACC failed but it performed flawlessly even during the heaviest of rain.

Btw. The USA is not all that bad, but you do have a lot of lawyers.

I would tend to agree.

I've used TACC in heavy rain, at the normal lower speeds I use in such conditions, as more of a fail-safe in case I missed sight of a vehicle I was approaching. Sure enough, on the highest setting, TACC was able to lock on to vehicles much further ahead than I was able to clearly see in those conditions... especially dark vehicles not using their headlights....

Have you ever taken a video of your windshield during heavy rain (safely, like, while stopped I hope), and looked back at the video and thought, "That doesn't look as bad in the video as it did to me." I kind of get the feeling that's how the car's front camera view ends up being also... definitely so when combined with the radar view.

 

[MileHighMotoring]

A little late, but to comment on the camera vs. eye and resolution in making out faded lines:

The issue is not the resolution of the camera, but dynamic contrast. Even film and very expensive Hollywood cameras have worse dynamic contrast than the human eye. We can see very bright and very dark things much better than cameras...and our eyes can also distinguish between two very slightly different brightness values better than a camera can.

That's really the issue with the faded lines into the sun problem (that and glare/lens flare).

I thought I read that the camera setup in the Microsoft Xbox Kinect was better at this than the human eye.

 

[eloder]

Wasn't saying that I wouldn't be in charge of the situation. I just said that it was demonstrated that you'd be able to take your hands off of the wheel and this was a selling point. I'm still in charge and fully understand this.

Edit:

Tesla Test Drive: Model P85D, Autopilot, Zero to 60 - YouTube

@ about the 2:00 mark.

Elon: It's on full autopilot right now. I'm not touching anything. No hands, no feet, nothing.

After that, if they demonstrated this, then deliver something where I have to keep a hand on the wheel constantly (I'm fine with "checking in" with the wheel or otherwise periodically), then that's black and white bait-and-switch.

Even besides the point, I don't think Musk would do this at all.

He's stated before that he thinks checking-in for autopilot features to stay active is a stupid idea. He mentioned the idea of someone with a medical condition going off the road and crashing in such systems, and how backwards that idea is.

I'm willing to bet that the Tesla autopilot system will push itself as far/long as possible. even to the point of it stopping itself (if they change how TACC works). I'm sure there will be ample warnings if it cannot handle a certain area, but if someone is passed out in the car then it will still continue. Plus, in such a situation, the person may be able to get help as I'm sure authorities could be trained on how to slow the car's autopilot system very safely.

Also willing to bet that the system will be abused just like similar autopilot systems are, far beyond their intended limits.

 

[SW2Fiddler]

I'm sure authorities could be trained on how to slow the car's autopilot system very safely.

Wow, I'm starting to appreciate my "Classic" May 2014 S85 even more...

 

[Andyw2100]

I was ready to intervene in case the TACC failed but it performed flawlessly even during the heaviest of rain.

I've used TACC in heavy rain, at the normal lower speeds I use in such conditions, as more of a fail-safe in case I missed sight of a vehicle I was approaching. Sure enough, on the highest setting, TACC was able to lock on to vehicles much further ahead than I was able to clearly see in those conditions... especially dark vehicles not using their headlights....

Since discovering that I wasn't supposed to use TACC in bad weather, I've been pretty good about not using it. One thing you guys should be very aware of (and I expect you are, but I'm also pointing this out for others) is that if the TACC system suddenly decides that the visibility isn't good enough for it to operate, it's just going to stop, which will result in full regenerative braking until you apply the Go pedal. In poor visibility that could mean a decent chance of being rear-ended.

 

[wk057]

Since discovering that I wasn't supposed to use TACC in bad weather, I've been pretty good about not using it. One thing you guys should be very aware of (and I expect you are, but I'm also pointing this out for others) is that if the TACC system suddenly decides that the visibility isn't good enough for it to operate, it's just going to stop, which will result in full regenerative braking until you apply the Go pedal. In poor visibility that could mean a decent chance of being rear-ended.

Yep, well aware. In the early TACC releases I had it cut off in tunnels, through narrow construction corridors, etc. However, recently I've only had it cut out one time (huge bug splat in front of the front cam, lol) and it actually didn't do the full regen like I had previously. It gave the alert and 3-beep chime error warning and slowly ramped down speed until I pressed the pedal.

So, I think they're working on that too. But in the case of rain, I had my feet prepped by the pedals for just this reason.

 

[Andyw2100]

www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/teslas-self-driving-technology-is-getting-a-big-upgrade just now, in response to Elon's tweets:

It's interesting how often writers get the details wrong. From the article linked above:

--
Earlier this year, the electric automaker released a limited self-driving function, which allowed Model S sedans equipped with the right hardware to detect other cars and obstacles around it and change lanes on highways.

 

[eloder]

Wow, I'm starting to appreciate my "Classic" May 2014 S85 even more...

Why? Everyone can slow a Tesla on TACC. Change lanes in front of the Tesla, slow down until the Tesla stops.

The individual can always turn off TACC and resume control, but such a feature is going to cut down on deaths for people who fall asleep or pass out behind the wheel. Plus, I don't think a criminal running away from the police would use TACC anyways--who uses cruise control on a police chase?

 

[ohmman]

With regard to whether camera optics and the current suite of sensors can or will do better than a human - the problem is hard, and there is plenty of work to be done. However, whenever I see the argument that machines will be unable to exceed the human capacity for (x), I see shortsightedness. I also see someone who has a lot more respect for the human sensor suite (and intelligence!) than I do.

I'm bullish on technology beating the pants off of human drivers. Maybe not very soon, but Tesla soon.

 

[mwulff]

Yep, well aware. In the early TACC releases I had it cut off in tunnels, through narrow construction corridors, etc. However, recently I've only had it cut out one time (huge bug splat in front of the front cam, lol) and it actually didn't do the full regen like I had previously. It gave the alert and 3-beep chime error warning and slowly ramped down speed until I pressed the pedal.

So, I think they're working on that too. But in the case of rain, I had my feet prepped by the pedals for just this reason.

Same as me, you don't drive in heavy rain without being alert, aware and ready for anything. But the radar clearly had a better idea about what was going on than I did. So I kept the lane and steered carefully and it kept a long distance to the next car and started slowing before I ever would have seen the other car slow.

All in all much safer for everyone. I even had the time to turn on the rear fog lamp to alert anyone behind me.

 

[Matias]

It's interesting how often writers get the details wrong. From the article linked above:

--
Earlier this year, the electric automaker released a limited self-driving function, which allowed Model S sedans equipped with the right hardware to detect other cars and obstacles around it and change lanes on highways.

Well you know, Tesla itself hasn't been very clear about this..

 

[tezzla]

Well you know, Tesla itself hasn't been very clear about this..

I was going to say the same thing. Maybe they got their information from the webpage.