What in the wild wild world of sports is this? Tesla LIDAR?

[israndy]

Just walking past the Alameda Supercharger and this guy was there charging. I asked him what I was looking at and he said he could tell me, it's a secret:

Looks very homemade, but the plates are Tesla's

 

[DOCAL]

The combined AP4 and extra large roof storage option.

 

[Saghost]

Definitely a bunch of extra sensors for some reason. Those flat plates facing to the rear and a little bit out and down look like phased array radar units. The others look like cameras, but could be something else - the fixed sensor LIDAR in the new iPhone sorta looks like that, maybe.

 

[Battpower]

look like phased array radar units.

World's First Phased Array 4D Imaging Radar On A Chip for the Automotive Industry

Certainly an interesting technology and fits in with Tesla's lidar-free approach.

 

[Chaserr]

Looks like cybertruckish dimensions for street testing

 

[KalJoMoS]

I believe it’s a test mule for CT.

 

[wildag]

Agreed with the above. That I think was featured in an Electrek article about the camera setup for cyber truck - so they can get a jump on autopilot from the CT perspective.

 

[Galinette]

Looks like plain radars to me, not phased array, especially since there are two of them with a small angle between, which would be useless with a phase array radar.

This is a plain classical automotive radar:
Continental Automotive

I don't know how the car pictures above give any clue there is a phase array radar.

On the other end, it would be strange if Tesla was testing only plain radars, since automotive phase array radars do exist now

Edit : ah, found this Tesla spotted testing prototype with new array of sensors - Electrek

 

[Saghost]

Looks like plain radars to me, not phased array, especially since there are two of them with a small angle between, which would be useless with a phase array radar.

This is a plain classical automotive radar:
Continental Automotive

I don't know how the car pictures above give any clue there is a phase array radar.

On the other end, it would be strange if Tesla was testing only plain radars, since automotive phase array radars do exist now

Edit : ah, found this Tesla spotted testing prototype with new array of sensors - Electrek

Without a peak under the covers or a part number, it’s nothing more than a guess.

Those packages say phased array to me because of the flat, square shape. That’s exactly the geometry of a typical phased array, to get the phase timing between elements correct for beam steering.

Other types of radar need different antenna shapes - but a different shape could be hiding under that cover, possibly, if the antenna is a lot smaller.

As for the two with relatively near angles, remember that Tesla is after autonomy these days - which means safe operation with a failed sensor.

There are a number of ways they could accomplish that, but sensor redundancy is one of the easiest, and since beam power falls off as you steer it, they might well choose to point them a little apart to optimize performance when both are operational.

 

[Galinette]

Those packages say phased array to me because of the flat, square shape. That’s exactly the geometry of a typical phased array, to get the phase timing between elements correct for beam steering

Conventional automotive radars (non phase array) like the on you have in your Tesla in the front have exactly this square form factor

 

[zecar]

Looks to me like the demon spawn LIDAR on the side

 

[dark cloud]

That is what, 20,000 miles of brake dust on the front wheels?

 

[Battpower]

That is what, 20,000 miles of brake dust on the front wheels?

I guess those sensors haven't resolved phantom braking!

 

[israndy]

Got a visit from the most recent incarnation: