When it sends a command to “open” (toggle) the software / car assumes it’s closed.
It just sends the command.
Someone might have left it open or just opened it prior to the car arriving. That is dangerous.
Not particularly. There would be danger if the door just closed despite the presence of a child in its path and that is why the doors are equipped with sensors (two types) to prevent that from happening as required, no doubt, by code.
The system was good enough for humans that visually confirm its state before toggling.
I'll point out that the way Homelink works in my Tesla (and Lexus) the human is there to visibly confirm that the door is open and starting to close. Happens all the time if someone opens the door while I'm out with the car. If I approach the house, see the dog sleeping on the threshold of the garage door, get the bing that the door is closing I then just hit the skip button. PITA but not much of one. Of course, the door would not actually close if the dog were sleeping on the threshold because the IR sensor would prevent that. If it failed the pressure sensor would prevent the pooch from being squished.
I'll also note that I occasionally close the door when there is no human present to tell me if there is someone/thing in the way. This doesn't happen much with the Tesla as it did with the Lexus because of the automatic feature. I will note that if I close the door remotely it beeps and the lights flash for a few seconds as a warning that the door is about to close. I wouldn't mind if it always did this though that would be belt and two pairs of suspenders.
That is called an assumption. A big one.
I don't know why you keep on at this idea that the car assumes something. It just sends the bloody signal when the geofence tells it it is close to home. The assumption was made by the designers of the system that it is safe to 5 (or more) nines to operate it this way.
Example?
And it’s a fairly crude system. Adults or children could be near doors when closing or opening.
And that's why the dual safety sensors are required on the doors. It is not incumbent on Tesla or Lexus or MyQ to add more nines.
Now Tesla comes along starts operating it BLINDLY based on imperfect GPS.
Now that comment just gave me some insight. Ever wonder why your cell phone can tell you where you are in your house to much better than GDOP suggests? Or why if you look at Tesla's location display you can tell which spot your wife is parked in at the grocery store? It's because it is not only using GPS (and probably Glonass too as most chips pick up both). It's because it is using WiFi info too. You may have seen a "Turn on WiFi for better positional accuracy message on your cell phone). This may explain why the geofencing system always triggers my garage doors correctly but often misses my front gate.
Even if it knew up vs down, it’s dangerous to run the door without visual confirmation it’s safe to even OPEN.
Trying to picture the scenario in which someone is injured by a door opening unexpectedly. Possible I guess but that's what the pressure sensor is there for.
Now to try to turn this to serious consideration for a minute while I'm sure that a door closing on me would not injure me I am not sure it might not dent the soft aluminum over the frunk, for example. I believe the pressure setting is adjustable on modern doors but I'd need to check to be sure.
The real threat from the geofencing system, IMO, comes from failure to retract the mirrors with 100% reliability. I always carefully check those when backing out or going in but do so because I'm guessing the auto system may not set them properly one day.
