v7.1 beta testing begins (Driver Mode, Self Parking, AP restrictions)

[jgs]

Given the size of the Model S, I think few people will have garages that the car can "learn", if not empty then certainly after it's full of all the junk people put in garages. The ultrasonics currently cut out at 12" which I find rather useless for parking almost anywhere. I can get closer than that by eye, it's the last few inches that counts.

Oh, I'm sure it could learn mine, if it was clever enough. If I wanted to I could park by ultrasonics alone, even when the garage is at its messiest.

 

[Max*]

The ultrasonics currently cut out at 12" which I find rather useless for parking almost anywhere.

The car should be able to figure out how far you traveled once the car tells you to "STOP" at the 12" mark. It's not rocket surgery.

 

[Andyw2100]

It's not rocket surgery.

Or brain science?

 

[AWDtsla]

The car should be able to figure out how far you traveled once the car tells you to "STOP" at the 12" mark. It's not rocket surgery.

Then you'd think it would report the same on the display...

- - - Updated - - -

Or brain science?

The only thing harder than rocket surgery is laser shark rocket surgery.

 

[brkaus]

The 12" minimum is likely a guardband to allow extra safety. I think it's their choice. May also have to do with the fact that the entire side of the car isn't covered with sensors.

 

[jbcarioca]

Its almost like it was designed for this specific purpose

Elon even commented IIRC that AP worked best in heavy traffic. I'd be devastated if I lost that capability. I use it every day.

 

[davidc18]

Elon even commented IIRC that AP worked best in heavy traffic. I'd be devastated if I lost that capability. I use it every day.

+1 - same here

 

[Lex]

I am starting to get the feeling what Tesla has been mostly beta testing since the AP release (and possibly somewhat before) is consumer response...

In addition to the actual beta(s), there seem to be a high number of releases in the wild at the moment, only going to a subset of cars.

 

[dirkhh]

I am starting to get the feeling what Tesla has been mostly beta testing since the AP release (and possibly somewhat before) is consumer response...

In addition to the actual beta(s), there seem to be a high number of releases in the wild at the moment, only going to a subset of cars.

Yes, this has been one of the interesting uses of the firmware tracker. It visualizes just how many builds are out there at the same time. In the last four weeks we have seen installs of 7 different builds on cars out there. As a software developer that makes me a little nervous...

 

[Max*]

Or brain science?

I prefer rocket surgery.

- - - Updated - - -

Then you'd think it would report the same on the display...

On 6.2 you'd think that blind spot detection didn't work either...

And I'm 99% sure it tracks it. I've had cases where it would track down to 12" disappear, I'd keep driving and all of a sudden I get a stop message (think parking block)

 

[kirkbauer]

it's the last few inches that counts.

That's what she said.

 

[GlmnAlyAirCar]

You don't mind if homeless people enter your car from the other side when you're travelling and have to make a stop somewhere?

That homeless person could be the developer who created the dashboard clock.

 

[brianman]

That homeless person could be the developer who created the dashboard clock.

"Relevance?"

 

[GlmnAlyAirCar]

"Relevance?"

Perhaps he's out of a job now????

 

[brianman]

Perhaps he's out of a job now????

Still don't want him/her in my car.

 

[Gizmotoy]

I am starting to get the feeling what Tesla has been mostly beta testing since the AP release (and possibly somewhat before) is consumer response...
In addition to the actual beta(s), there seem to be a high number of releases in the wild at the moment, only going to a subset of cars.

Ah, the Netflix approach to software development. I think Elon and Reed are buddies, so it's not terribly surprising.

 

[disillusioned]

Yes, this has been one of the interesting uses of the firmware tracker. It visualizes just how many builds are out there at the same time. In the last four weeks we have seen installs of 7 different builds on cars out there. As a software developer that makes me a little nervous...

Why should this make you nervous? It feels like it's either feature branch testing or A/B testing, and either option isn't bad practice. More focus from their beta testers if it's feature branches, and customer satisfaction feedback if it's A/B...

 

[dirkhh]

Why should this make you nervous? It feels like it's either feature branch testing or A/B testing, and either option isn't bad practice. More focus from their beta testers if it's feature branches, and customer satisfaction feedback if it's A/B...

If Tesla had a reasonably big firmware team this would be one thing. But I have it on good authority (from an engineer working at Tesla who really would hate me to give more specifics on how they know) that the firmware team is surprisingly small. From my email exchange with that person I understand that the many different versions are a result of the quite un-orthodox firmware release process that Tesla uses.

Anyway, my point is that it appears that the different releases are branches that are being released (after going through QA) without being merged into a linear stream. So if we start at 2.7.56 and go to 2.7.77 and 2.7.85, then .77 could contain fixes that aren't in .85 - but then .106 may have the combination of the changes that were in both earlier releases.

Again, I don't want to get my source in trouble, so I won't get into more detail, but I was quite perplexed by what I was told.
I consider my source reliable - but who knows, this might be an elaborate practical joke (as the emails of course aren't coming from a teslamotors.com account).

 

[AWDtsla]

If Tesla had a reasonably big firmware team this would be one thing. But I have it on good authority (from an engineer working at Tesla who really would hate me to give more specifics on how they know) that the firmware team is surprisingly small. From my email exchange with that person I understand that the many different versions are a result of the quite un-orthodox firmware release process that Tesla uses.

Anyway, my point is that it appears that the different releases are branches that are being released (after going through QA) without being merged into a linear stream. So if we start at 2.7.56 and go to 2.7.77 and 2.7.85, then .77 could contain fixes that aren't in .85 - but then .106 may have the combination of the changes that were in both earlier releases.

Again, I don't want to get my source in trouble, so I won't get into more detail, but I was quite perplexed by what I was told.
I consider my source reliable - but who knows, this might be an elaborate practical joke (as the emails of course aren't coming from a teslamotors.com account).

Given the fragmentation, strange release schedules, large delays from physical product to released software, and generally outdated things like the browser, you would have to assume something strange is going on. Sounds like they're struggling to go from startup mode to actually having a process that scales to 100k+ vehicles and probably even more permutations of options, given part revving.

 

[msnow]

Given the fragmentation, strange release schedules, large delays from physical product to released software, and generally outdated things like the browser, you would have to assume something strange is going on. Sounds like they're struggling to go from startup mode to actually having a process that scales to 100k+ vehicles and probably even more permutations of options, given part revving.

Pure speculation on my part but I see inherent problems when the head of technical architecture and the CEO are the same person.