Real Steering Controls for the Model 3

[zenmaster]

Why are we assuming "spaceship steering controls" involved the steering wheel itself

Because Elon was responding directly to this question:

Cosmin Davidoaia @HBL_Cosmin·Apr 3, 2016

@elonmusk 1.Ferrari like steering wheel 2.Move stick functions(turn signals,horn,etc.) on a paddle shifter behind wheel. That would be cool!

 

[sandpiper]

I doubt the model 3 will ever "self drive" as in punch in a location and let it go. By the time regulations approve it new hardware will be available and regulators or Tesla will want to have that in the first full self driving car. In other words you'll need ap3.

Ap2 felt like a rush to get away from mobile eye at all cost.

That's exactly what it was. To their credit I think they designed hardware with enough flexibility to be a first in class AP system. But I don't think we'll see FSD from anybody for quite a long while. I suspect that this is all driven by the euphoria around the way that DNNs rapidly knocked down some long standing AI vision challenges, and made semi autonomy possible. People got ahead of themselves and assumed that full autonomy was just around the corner.

Unfortunately I think Tesla is going to face a major blowback at some point with the "FSD option" they have been selling.

 

[zenmaster]

People got ahead of themselves and assumed that full autonomy was just around the corner.

You do realize that Musk himself says FSD will be available by year end? And they are emphasizing the roadblock will be regulations, NOT their tech.

 

[BluestarE3]

Because Elon was responding directly to this question:

Cosmin Davidoaia @HBL_Cosmin·Apr 3, 2016

@elonmusk 1.Ferrari like steering wheel 2.Move stick functions(turn signals,horn,etc.) on a paddle shifter behind wheel. That would be cool!

However, Elon did not reply with, "Wait until you see the real steering wheel..." Instead, he deftly pivoted with, "Wait until you see the real steering controls and system..." While the questioner may have wanted to know about the steering wheel, Elon was trying to let him know he need not focus on steering wheel controls because he has something else planned for steering/controlling the car that would render the wheel mostly irrelevant. He couldn't spell it out in so many words because, at the time, AP2/FSD hadn't been announced yet.

 

[sandpiper]

You do realize that Musk himself says FSD will be available by year end? And they are emphasizing the roadblock will be regulations, NOT their tech.

Of course. And Elon is typically well intentioned and my, at the time, may believe what he promises. But if history is to be a guide, you should note that he didn't say which year.

There is zero chance that self driving is ready this year. And the problem won't be regulations. Unless, I suppose, you consider laws against uncontrolled machinery wreaking havoc on our streets to be "regulations". FSD is going to be very very tough.

 

[Jayc]

I think they may have had some extra features in mind when Elon made the reference to spaceship controls. Look at it from Tesla's perspective and imagine you announce a feature stating that it will be shown at a particular reveal. Then imagine you had to later retract the feature (reason does not matter). Then what would happen is that people will be waiting for that reveal only to discover the event was not what they expected. Now isn't that what happened with reveal 2 ?

Having said all that however, I personally think we will be getting a simpler more reliable car as a result. The last thing we want is for a spaceship steering control to go wrong in half a million cars because it's so cutting edge. Also TBH we don't want Tesla to struggle selling their high-end cars do we because of Model 3 because as owners we want Tesla to survive and thrive - that's the only way our hard earned purchase is going to retain its value. So let's just look forward to our Model 3, it's going to be a great car.

 

[Big-T]

I just can't figure out why at the very LEAST they didn't just pop the steering wheel from the model S into the model 3. They already have the supplier lined up, it's a tested design that looks pretty polished.

Instead they hire a guy from Porsche to help design a steering wheel for the 3 and we're seeing this turd of a steering wheel. I'm still holding out some hope this isn't the final design only because it's so friggin ugly right now.

 

[AudubonB]

Paah.

Option Z: This is what it looks like on a spaceship, so.....

 

[sitter_k]

You do realize that Musk himself says FSD will be available by year end? And they are emphasizing the roadblock will be regulations, NOT their tech.

You gotta be careful of Elon's word games. "Available" to who? My guess is Tesla employees testing FSD or to government bodies for testing. I'll stand by my original prediction and go against yours and say, FSD will definitely not be available by the end of the year!

 

[coconutboy84]

ugh, not this again. Taking tweets much too seriously guys!

 

[sitter_k]

ugh, not this again. Taking tweets much too seriously guys!

It's all Trump and Elons fault !!!!!!!!!

 

[WileyTheMan]

A lot can change in a year, and I'm thinking that decision got axed. He decided to keep the tweet up and let people interpret it as they want. To hope for anything different than what we've already seen is setting yourself up for disappointment.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

However, AP2/FSD hardware for all cars going forward was not announced until October 2016. This event was also referred to as Model 3 "Reveal 2" by Elon. The "real steering controls" tweet came months earlier (3 days after Reveal 1), so full autonomy hardware for the Model 3 wasn't known to be a given at that time. On the same day as the "real steering controls" tweet, Elon also tweeted (in response to a question about the bare dashboard) that all will become clear after Reveal 2. And, as we know, Reveal 2 was about AP2/FSD.

I believe what some of us are saying is this: We do believe Elon was being revisionist by calling the AP2 event Reveal 2 (possibly quite intentionally to try to walk back on his old tweet) - and that there was going to be something else announced at Reveal 2 concerning the spaceship controls that did not make it.

Likely that something got delayed and may either never come, come later, or most likely be seen first in Model S/X (later this year?) and eventually over time perhaps trickle to Model 3 as well. A large augmented reality HUD is still a possibility IMO.

Just speculation of course.

 

[Topher]

Option 6: He was talking about Full Self Driving, and all that goes with that. That's the way his spaceships feel.

Thank you kindly.

 

[brianman]

Agreed. My hypothesis is they were planning something more, but were taken off guard by the demand. So they decided to move up production in response, and simplify things.

I think this lines up with (more recent?) statements by Elon to the effect of "We put too much into Model X all at once, we shouldn't have done that. We're not doing that for Model 3."

 

[Uncle Paul]

When piloting my X, it feels like a space ship

 

[PTADO]

Why are we assuming "spaceship steering controls" involved the steering wheel itself? I have always believed he was referring to the electromechanical steering mechanism especially after AP 2 was released. It's ability to steer, track, avoid obstacles, summon etc. The only steering 'wheels' that are not round are in race cars that only require 180 degrees of rotation lock to lock unlike road cars requiring 21/2 to 31/2 turns lock to lock.

Agree wholeheartedly. He never said steering 'wheel' specifically, he said "steering controls and system". Albeit, the word 'controls' could be directly interpreted as the wheel, because, well, it's the main control OF said system.

The "you won't care" statement could also have something to do with this as well. Maybe the 'spaceship' metaphor is more or less the hardware/software implemented within the wheel, rather than the wheel itself. As far as I could see from the SN1 video, it looks just like an S steering wheel which isn't a bad thing either.

Knowing Elon, I highly doubt when the time comes on the 28th, that he'll roll out the production 3 and say "well, you've already seen it all already so here you go." He typically goes for the blown-minds approach, and typically is successful. I think there's still cards close to the chest because afterall, that video of SN1, nor the spyshots of mules, is not an official reveal. Pretty sure they thought about the fact that 91% of adults have phones with HD cameras and video.

I still think there's more than meets the eye.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

There was a recent rumor/alleged leak that there would be a a third or a quarter of the windshield covering HUD system (augmented reality?), but it would launch first on the Model S/X and Model 3 would only get it later.

If there was any merit to this rumor, Elon's original Model 3 spaceship tweet could have referred to it...

Could be nothing to it, of course.

 

[zenmaster]

You gotta be careful of Elon's word games. "Available" to who? My guess is Tesla employees testing FSD or to government bodies for testing. I'll stand by my original prediction and go against yours and say, FSD will definitely not be available by the end of the year!

lol, I never said it would be available by the end of the year. I was smiling when I wrote what Elon thinks will happen.

Also without a definition of "FSD", there will be nitpicking as to whether or not the capability is all there. In the end, user satisfaction for the feature will come down to whether or not "FSD" provides sufficient utility and/or how it compares to competitive offerings. After all, one can't complain too much if the full extent of the capabilities remains vague and there are no alternatives with which to compare.

 

[zenmaster]

But if history is to be a guide, you should note that he didn't say which year.

Why, yes he did. Just late last year at one of the corporate meetings. "End of next year" which is this year!