CA to Tesla: Stop using the term "Auto-pilot"

[bro1999]

At least until the feature truly offers true, level 4 autonomous driving.

CA to restrict use of term Autopilot: Tesla-owning pilot weighs in

 

[mknox]

Saw that too... and it seems dumb to me. People are still going to "abuse' the technology no matter what it's called.

 

[DOCAL]

I think the term autopilot is completely accurate. The problem is that most people seem to think an autopilot is a magical device which means the pilots get to lie back and nap from shortly after takeoff until shortly before landing.

There are a large range of capabilities in aircraft autopilots, some are so basic that they only follow a heading, and don't even hold altitude. Other's will hold altitude, and perform climbs/descents, but will try to maintain a certain climb rate (say 500 feet per minute) regardless of the aircraft speed, eventually leading to a stall.
At the other extreme, combined with auto throttle and auto land, they can do most things.

Pilots need to continuously monitor the plane when autopilot is on, sometimes it doesn't do what was expected and needs to be turned off, or the level of automation reduced a notch, sometimes the autopilot will encounter something it can't handle, and will automatically disconnect itself.

Seems pretty comparable to me.

 

[HookBill]

I'm sure the Tesla brain powers are already putting together a list of acceptable substitutions just in case. The term autopilot will reemerge when L4 is accomplished. I'm not losing any sleep over this.

 

[McRat]

Best guess?

Infinite Improbability Driver - v4.2

Trivia - Type what is the answer to life the universe and everything into the Google search bar. Funny stuff.

 

[aronth5]

I have never really liked the comparison to the term autopilot for an airplane. In a car there are times when a second or two determines whether you will be in an accident or not. I'm not a pilot but wonder how many times a delay of 1-2 seconds in taking control of the airplane avoids a crash. However, I'm not sure what better term would more accurately reflect what the current Tesla "autopilot" actually does. What is clear though is the average person when they hear the word "autopilot" assume the driver can pretty much sit back and let the car drive itself. So no matter what Tesla says the term autopilot will be misunderstood so I don't blame regulators for trying to reduce/eliminate its use.

 

[voyager]

Fully autonomous cars are unlikely, says America’s top transportation safety official
Some people just like to drive, for one thing.

 

[McRat]

Fully autonomous cars are unlikely, says America’s top transportation safety official
Some people just like to drive, for one thing.

In 1843, Patent Office Commissioner Henry Ellsworth made a report to Congress in which he said, “the advancement of the arts, from year to year, taxes our credulity and seems to presage the arrival of that period when human improvement must end.”

So I don't put a lot of faith in the predictions of bureaucrats.

But I do agree that in the best possible scenario, a human will be a co-pilot. No software can come up with a solution to a problem it is not coded for, and there are nearly an infinite number possible scenarios when driving in public.

However, a joint venture of both the road infrastructure engineers and the automotive autonomy engineers will come up with a near fault-free solution if virtually all the variables can be known. Cars that relay their intended future path to other cars in the area in conjunction with controlled access pipelines, can reduce the risk to near zero.

The problem is not the future, the problem is today. We do not have an integrated solution, we do not manage risk, we do not have controlled access to each lane except in a small fraction of roadways. Today, a drunk or texter can hop in a car with Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep technology, and ignore their responsibility to control the car in an emergency situation.

We are just a single Class Action lawsuit away from setting back advanced driver's aids another 10 years.

 

[voyager]

The problem will be the mix of self-driven vehicles and people that prefer to steer their cars themselves... Plus, will there come a time that people will say "thank you, I'd rather take control myself"?

 

[Chopr147]

What is clear though is the average person when they hear the word "autopilot" assume the driver can pretty much sit back and let the car drive itself.

Really? I have to assume you just think the average person is a blockhead because they are the only ones fooled by the term autopilot. I have not once even imagined the car would drive itself. When i fly I don't assume the pilot is sleeping and my life is in the hands of autopilot.

 

[McRat]

Really? I have to assume you just think the average person is a blockhead because they are the only ones fooled by the term autopilot. I have not once even imagined the car would drive itself. When i fly I don't assume the pilot is sleeping and my life is in the hands of autopilot.

It's two factors added together that is the issue. You buy a car with advanced driver's aids. You drive it and find out it's pretty good, and can drive itself without your intervention. You get complacent, and eventually stop acting as a co-pilot more and more. Until something stops you.

It's not the name, any more than it's your hand that makes talking on the phone while driving more risky.

It's what advanced driver's aids do to your Reaction Time, and your necessary evaluation of how the drivers around are behaving.

Will today's ADA's see that the car ahead of you in the next lane is driving erratically? Zigzagging through traffic while tailgating? A good driver sees that and avoids getting near Bozo. That is just one of many examples where an experienced driver alters their driving position and speed to avoid a possibly dangerous situation. If you are not aware of Bozo, your chances of a collision are much higher.

Today, it's not mainly a technology fault, it's a human trait. The cars are ready for the technology, but are the humans?