Results of Surface Street AP-Challenge with v9...
For over a year I have been testing every new software version to see if AP(2) can handle a certain half-mile stretch on a nearby surface street. It has progressively been getting better and better but it ALWAYS has cut across the divider line in the northbound lane on a switchback turn. It's not
very sharp, but just sharp enough - after coming out of turn "1" it crosses the line as it transitions to turn "2". Pretty near where I am placed the "2" mark in this visualization.
Tried it with v9 (2018.39.6) today.
Results: It STILL crosses the lane divider line at the start of the switchback
But it
is incrementally still better as it crosses a little bit less than it used to. I'd say it still crosses at least 6-9 inches (obviously I can't tell exactly) but in the past it was a solid foot plus - maybe 12"-16". The rest of the stretch is handled competently until the end which ends in a large dirt berm. Here is the berm:
Didn't get to test the berm side today because there were pedestrians around there today so will try tomorrow.
Berm part is very challenging for AP. First, the cameras have to identify that the lane is actually turning. I think the berm somehow confuses it a bit and it doesn't seem to see the lane turn into very late. Second, it's a pretty sharp turn. It's all challenging to test because there is a stop sign immediately after the turn. Even when AP does make the turn, I have to immediately break so I can't let it 100% completely make it's turn.
We'll see how v9 handles it tomorrow.
What I am hoping is that the IC will more clearly show the bend in the road before the bend is upon me and that it slows down a bit more before the turn happens instead of whipping around it at full speed limit very uncomfortably.
WFIW, this "berm test" is the most unpredictable and "random". AP will make the turn multiple times in a row (same firmware version) - at least as much of a turn as I can let it before I have to stop the car. But then some days it seems to not see either the berm or the turn and either looks like it would just plow full speed
into the berm - OR it will just disengage and give up...at the very last second. Both of these fail conditions would be scary except I have done it 100 times so I'm always ready.
It is also a bit disconcerting that 75% of the time it probably makes the turn (albeit at higher than comfortable speeds and too abruptly) but the other 25% it either barrels straight or just disengages maybe 1-1.5 second before the berm. I can't figure out why it works sometimes and not others.
Anyway, we'll see what happens with v9 soon
