The safety upgrades will be part of the Tesla range’s next major software update, Tesla Version 8.0.
Advertisement
The software upgrade will be rolled out over the air in about two weeks and does not involve additional Autopilot hardware. Autopilot is meant to allow drivers to remove their hands from the wheel for up to three minutes, depending on the driving scenario.
Tesla’s head Elon Musk mentioned that improvements in the company’s Autopilot technology could have prevented the accident on May7 in Ohio.
Joshua Brown, 45, was killed in a crash in Williston, Florida while using the autopilot technology in a Tesla Model S in May. The new software increases the number of radar snapshots taken and how detailed they are.
Tesla cars are getting a giant upgrade. This is exactly what happened in May when the Model S ignored the truck making a left turn in front of it while it was in autopilot mode. Some said Apple would have been Tesla’s only true competitor in the field.
One of the main challenges of using cameras and radars for a braking system is how to prevent so-called false positives, in which a vehicle might think an overhead highway sign, for example, was an obstacle to be avoided.
The improvements announced Sunday call for Autopilot to rely more on radar and less on vehicle cameras.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is investigating the crash, said Sunday that Tesla has provided it with information about the changes to Autopilot, which it will review.
The CEO of Tesla has a reasonable view on automotive safety, as he considers that it will be impossible to ensure zero fatalities or zero injuries in automobiles, even with the most advanced systems imaginable.
If a driver takes his or her hands off the wheel for more than a minute above speeds of 45mph, a warning will sound. Emergency braking will also be initiated by the vehicle when Autopilot is inactive. Now, Autopilot can block drivers’ access to it if the driver fails to gain control of the auto following audible warnings to do so – as in turning itself off and only accessible again when parked.
Advertisement
Still, Musk noted that no system will be completely safe.
