Tesla replacing ultrasonic sensors with Tesla Vision

[2101Guy]

Hahahaha. Tesla examined their cost base and decided to remove sensors. That’s as far as they usually get. Replacement functionality in way down their priorities

a year later and Im still awaiting on the "all we have to do is push an over the air update to restore horn activation via yoke airbag" promise to take place

 

[Knightshade]

a year later and Im still awaiting on the "all we have to do is push an over the air update to restore horn activation via yoke airbag" promise to take place

To my knowledge Elon only admitted the HW was there and promised a future FW update to enable it in March 2022.

Since you claim to be posting from the future, could you PM me winning lottery numbers for next week? TIA!

 

[Silicon Desert]

What if something is placed in the path of the car outside of camera view after it’s parked?

I guess I am just weird. I look at what is in front and back of my car before I get in. I don't trust the car to do that for me.

 

[Dewg]

To my knowledge Elon only admitted the HW was there and promised a future FW update to enable it in March 2022.

Since you claim to be posting from the future, could you PM me winning lottery numbers for next week? TIA!

I don't have a yoke, so I wasn't sure, but I reached out to one of my colleagues who recently got an X with a yoke. I thought they removed the horn with the yoke and then promised it would come back with a firmware update. Then I was reading there is no switch behind the airbag for pressing to activate the horn. I have now discovered that there is a horn button on the yoke, which works like the airbag press on the older wheel. In this case, I'm not sure why it's a cause for concern - since the functionality was not removed. I can understand people's frustration with removal of radar and ultrasonics, but the horn is still there.

 

[Dewg]

I guess I am just weird. I look at what is in front and back of my car before I get in. I don't trust the car to do that for me.

We're old-school that way.

 

[MP3Mike]

Sounds like they are starting to rollout the update that adds vision based parking distances.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1587643617358798848

 

[stopcrazypp]

I don't have a yoke, so I wasn't sure, but I reached out to one of my colleagues who recently got an X with a yoke. I thought they removed the horn with the yoke and then promised it would come back with a firmware update. Then I was reading there is no switch behind the airbag for pressing to activate the horn. I have now discovered that there is a horn button on the yoke, which works like the airbag press on the older wheel. In this case, I'm not sure why it's a cause for concern - since the functionality was not removed. I can understand people's frustration with removal of radar and ultrasonics, but the horn is still there.

People where hand wringing over the button being harder to find than just pushing the airbag. It wasn't that there was no horn button, that likely would not be legal in the first place by federal law.

 

[stopcrazypp]

They are not voiding the warranty. As part of the warranty service they will install the latest firmware. If you decline they will not perform the warranty service. I believe that is perfectly legal behavior.

That is not true in my case. My car was not updated when I had it in for service at Tesla even when I had one staged. There is a "update" that is a service acknowledgement that they push to work on the car, but that doesn't update the car to the latest version. To be double sure, you can put a post-it note on the car to ask the service person not to update it.

The only case I see they would ask you to update the car is if it is an issue that an update specifically addresses, in which case it is up you as the user to decide if you want to update for the "fix" or keep the old features as is.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Are there forced software updates?
Tesla Releases New Software Updates, Includes Immediate Forced Update
Why Is Tesla Forcing Software Updates If No Safety Issue Is Involved?

I just read the threads. The first thread people there were discussing updates they installed themselves because they thought they had to due to the warning message (for example the ATT update), some were confused by the update downloading over LTE as being a forced update (later they clarified it didn't try to install it, it just downloaded).

The only one that claimed that they were forced updated, I dug the thread they made, and people pointed out the same thing that there was nothing presented that excludes an accidental schedule:
Auto-updated firmaware without confirmation - confirmed!

The second and third thread, skimming them, there was no one that claimed the update installed on their own, it was a similar ominous sounding warning message that asked them to install the update themselves. That message wouldn't be asking the user to press to schedule an update if it was actually just force installing by itself.

 

[SwissY]

Sounds like they are starting to rollout the update that adds vision based parking distances.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1587643617358798848

Everyone should wait until this is really confirmed. So far there is this single tweet that is simply being referenced again and again. Who is this Green person anyway? Why should anyone believe that there is a solution for USS if Tesla is not making a public statement about it? Tesla informed the world that there would be no USS and for a limited time no functionality; one would think that they would then give a public update that the function is now being reinstated with this release. I do not see such a statement as of yet. Only a tweet from someone gives no proof.

 

[JulienW]

....So far there is this single tweet that is simply being referenced again and again. Who is this Green person anyway? ....... Only a tweet from someone gives no proof.

Well that shows how closely you follow Tesla.

Couple of examples:

Tesla Full Self-Driving System's Beta Developer Settings Leaked

Fun options like 'California Stop' might not make safety advocates very happy, and what is 'Chiropractor Adjust Skeleton'?

www.caranddriver.com

Tesla hacker unlocks Autopilot 'Augmented Vision' and it's awesome

A Tesla hacker has unlocked “Autopilot Augmented Vision,” a new mode in Tesla’s autonomous driving suite, that enables to see...

electrek.co

Tesla hacker unveils what the Model 3/Y cabin camera can see (video clips) - Tesla Oracle

Tesla Model 3 and Model Y come with an integrated passenger facing cabin camera, Tesla hacker green unlocks the recorded clips (videos, details).

www.teslaoracle.com

 

[Knightshade]

Yeah, if Green says it's in the firmware, it's in there.

That doesn't tell us things like how well it works or anything, but dude has direct access to the code and has been reporting, accurately, on this stuff for years and years.

Only issue is when people go off on wild speculation beyond what he finds.... for example a while back he found Tesla added a new radar to the firmware- which was a fact. And folks decided that meant they were for sure immediately bringing radar back-- which quite a while later now still has not happened.

 

[m25nyc]

Actually, they are, at least on my 2016 Model S.

I frequently drive along Highway 80 coming out of Reno towards the Bay Area. A large part of this is two lanes in each direction with a concrete barrier separating the opposing lanes. The driver's side ultrasonic sensors clearly detect the barrier, even at 70+ mph speeds, as indicated by the yellow radiating lines on my center display. Dunno how accurate the distance data would be, though...

I don't see how Tesla Vision could accurately gauge the distance to a featureless garage wall, but maybe Elon does. Of course, my not-terribly-good auto wipers are still a "beta" feature after many years, so maybe Elon doesn't...

The USS seem active on my 2022 Model Y on the highway also at high speeds and seem to accurately reflect distance to barriers and other cars.

And of course exceptionally helpful for parking, better than other cars I've driven that have ultrasonic sensors for parking only - better in terms of distance estimates as well as audio and visual cues and specificity of where is too close.

 

[mongo]

Tesla informed the world that there would be no USS and for a limited time no functionality; one would think that they would then give a public update that the function is now being reinstated with this release.

Or they roll it out in OTA and announce the return of features after reviewing fleet testing ...

For a short period of time during this transition, Tesla Vision vehicles that are not equipped with USS will be delivered with some features temporarily limited or inactive, including:

• Park Assist: alerts you of surrounding objects when the vehicle is traveling <5 mph.
• Autopark: automatically maneuvers into parallel or perpendicular parking spaces.
• Summon: manually moves your vehicle forward or in reverse via the Tesla app.
• Smart Summon: navigates your vehicle to your location or location of your choice via the Tesla app.

In the near future, once these features achieve performance parity to today’s vehicles, they will be restored via a series of over-the-air software updates. All other available Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot and Full Self-Driving capability features will be active at delivery, depending on order configuration.

 

[kavyboy]

Who is this Green person anyway?

FYI, he's one of the most knowledgeable and reliable people in the Tesla world of tech.

 

[TenKOhms]

Vision *should* be able to be better at that, than USS. Vision does not need a clear view of the ground in all directions, to successfully park. if it can get high res video on approach, call it a "survey" view if you will. The car can calculate precisely how far it can move in any direction to avoid objects in its path that it saw earlier. It does not necessarily need to see the ground in all directions, after it has landed.

I do this every time I walk in to my bedroom, in total darkness. I turn on a light briefly to get a fix on the door knob, then turn the light off and walk straight to the door knob.

Park assist, in my opinion, is really a gimmick. You find a spot, then set up the car to essentially be one move away from parking, and let the software handle the rest as you sit there waiting and watching in case it messes up. Might as well just park it yourself.

The biggest shame is losing Parking sensor functionality of objects/obstacles that are within proximity of an USS. This is such a basic feature the automotive industry has had for a long time now, and in my opinion, I do not believe vision will be able to do a better job. Say for example you are backing up to a large concrete wall which takes up the entire FOV of the camera. All it essentially sees is a white canvas, how will it determine the distance of the wall?

 

[delphinus1966]

I was so excited to take delivery of my new 2023 Model 3 Tesla last Thursday, October 27th. Unfortunately, the excitement is wearing off. While exploring the features of the Model 3 I realized that the summon feature was missing from both the app and the controls under autopilot (Enhanced Autopilot). Contacting Tesla I spoke with Tiffany who had me provide screenshots of the app and told me she would get back to me. After waiting two days with no contact from the rep, I again contacted Tesla and spoke with Brandon, who knew immediately what the issue is. Tesla removed the radar and is only using cameras for autopilot (which I was aware of). Unfortunately, the software will not yet support summon, smart summon, or auto park.

I have a tight garage and the summon feature was going to be a big help in getting everyone in and out of the vehicle. Further, I am unable to roll back the purchase of the Enhanced Autopilot and recoup the extra $6000 I invested to be able to utilize all the benefits of the EA. Hopefully, the bad taste this has left me with will wear off and I will again be excited about my new vehicle. In the meantime, all I can do is wait for Tesla to get around to releasing the update that will allow me to use features that I have already paid for.

 

[Daniel in SD]

Park assist, in my opinion, is really a gimmick. You find a spot, then set up the car to essentially be one move away from parking, and let the software handle the rest as you sit there waiting and watching in case it messes up. Might as well just park it yourself.

The biggest shame is losing Parking sensor functionality of objects/obstacles that are within proximity of an USS. This is such a basic feature the automotive industry has had for a long time now, and in my opinion, I do not believe vision will be able to do a better job. Say for example you are backing up to a large concrete wall which takes up the entire FOV of the camera. All it essentially sees is a white canvas, how will it determine the distance of the wall?

That seems relatively easy. You can see where the floor and the wall meet in the backup camera. I’m sure there are edge cases that we’ll see soon enough though.

 

[2101Guy]

I don't have a yoke, so I wasn't sure, but I reached out to one of my colleagues who recently got an X with a yoke. I thought they removed the horn with the yoke and then promised it would come back with a firmware update. Then I was reading there is no switch behind the airbag for pressing to activate the horn. I have now discovered that there is a horn button on the yoke, which works like the airbag press on the older wheel. In this case, I'm not sure why it's a cause for concern - since the functionality was not removed. I can understand people's frustration with removal of radar and ultrasonics, but the horn is still there.

Because 99% of cars use the center of the steering wheel/airbag as the means to activate the horn?
Because when the wheel is in any position, the horn activation capability is always in the exact same place without having to look for it?
Because there was zero upside to removing the ability to activate the horn via airbag?
Because Elon admitted it was a bad idea to remove that capability, and promised to restore it?

I have more if you need them

 

[stopcrazypp]

Park assist, in my opinion, is really a gimmick. You find a spot, then set up the car to essentially be one move away from parking, and let the software handle the rest as you sit there waiting and watching in case it messes up. Might as well just park it yourself.

The biggest shame is losing Parking sensor functionality of objects/obstacles that are within proximity of an USS. This is such a basic feature the automotive industry has had for a long time now, and in my opinion, I do not believe vision will be able to do a better job. Say for example you are backing up to a large concrete wall which takes up the entire FOV of the camera. All it essentially sees is a white canvas, how will it determine the distance of the wall?

The occupancy network uses all the cameras to do its 3d mapping. The system may also use the wheel sensors to determine how the car is moving. That means unless all views of the cameras are featureless, it would likely have plenty of cues to determine how far the car moved relative to the wall.