Stop signs and Red Lights

[787steve]

Ok, I'm a newbie. In fact, delivery in two days. One thing I don't quite understand is why the autopilot suite does not brake for stop signs and traffic lights. The cam should pick them up. The only theory I can come up with is a possible problem from such items oriented in a confusing way at intersections at acute angles, vs right angles.
Does anyone have any info as to why the cam won't recognize and respond to these? Just curious. Was hoping for it in 8.0.
Drive Safe

 

[trils0n]

It can probably see stop signs (they aren't that different from speed limit signs), but the consequences of missing a stop sign are much higher. I think they made a decision to avoid that trouble by not trying to stop at stop signs.

Perhaps they could just include a Stop Sign icon on the dash as you are approaching (it could even get bigger as you get closer to the sign), then it would just be informational, and wouldn't have a risk of autopilot running the sign if for whatever reason the camera didn't see it. Not sure that would be any help (unless you were looking at the instrument cluster instead of the road).

 

[Todd Burch]

The camera most definitely sees stop signs and traffic lights. You can watch a Mobileye video demonstrating the exact chip in the Model S and all of the features it detects. It's a lot of stuff. (I don't have the link--maybe someone here will supply it).

I think it may come sometime. Not as a primary "let us stop for you" thing (who knows if a bush obscures 80% of a stop sign preventing its recognition), but perhaps as a safety backup...meaning it will stop the car *if* it sees the light/sign and you don't appear to be stopping for it.

 

[BerTX]

Also, side streets coming in at an angle sometimes might have a sign orientation that will appear to be a sign on the main road. I saw one of those the other day, and after a moment of panic, my brain was able to process the situation and not react. I'm certain autopilot would have slammed on the brakes. I guess this would be another part of the GPS/database of exceptions, or maybe there will be a database of all stop sign and traffic light locations...

 

[Lex]

We are having a similar discussion here:
Autopilot slowed down driving towards a red light

 

[kort677]

the car does not respond to stop signs or traffic signals because despite the naming the car is not an autonomous driver, it is really driver assist.
your first lesson is that you cannot "trust" the AP to always make the right decision, you should always be interactive with the car and be ready to assume control in an instant. as you gain some driving experience using the system you'll develop a "feel" as to the level of interaction you'll need to maintain. good luck with your new car!

 

[roblab]

We were all newbies at one point. And AP, or PA, is a newbie. The camera sees lots of things, but hasn't been told what they all are. It is learning. As one poster above pointed out, there are millions of "exceptions to every rule" that must be taught to the program, and it is happening, and we will see some great advances on v. 8 most likely, but we have to remember that it's barely a year old yet. Like working with kids, we learn what they don't know and do know and let them "help" so they don't wreck the house, and in a few years they are doing it by themselves. PA now is getting glasses for its radar so it can see things even better, but for a while it will be troubled by how much better it sees. And somewhere down the road, someone will teach it what a stop sign is, or even an intersection where someone has run the stop sign down beside the road. Every new parent has to learn how to interact with any young child. That's what we are doing. What we need is patience, understanding, and hands on the wheel.

 

[dpodoll]

My guess (repeat...guess) is that the fleet has been logging and reporting back all stop signs and lights effective about a year ago. They can do all this behind the curtain without us even knowing. Sure would be a jumpstart for what comes next.