On a conference call with reporters, Musk said he thinks that the improvements, which will roll out globally in the next week or two in the form of a software update, probably would have prevented that crash. It’ll see objects in cars that the previous system could not see because the previous system was primarily camera-based. The 200-plus additions to the software come as it is being investigated by the U.S. road safety regulator.
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Tesla has announced plans to update its Autopilot function to include new features to prevent collisions.
Tesla Motors is still betting on big radar technology, while other autonomous vehicle technology rivals, including Uber or Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F), are looking to advance in laser detection Lidar technology.
In a follow-up call with journalists, Tesla’s founder Elon Musk explained that the new radar system will be capable of detecting anything “that’s large and dense” causing the auto to brake.
Tesla hasn’t revealed a date for the rollout of the updates, but we’ll keep an eye on the situation. These sensors allowed the cars to operate in “autopilot mode” – steering and driving themselves (although the company has always stated that autopilot mode was a beta feature, and that humans should always remain in control). This new development will upgrade its use to a primary control sensor without needing the camera for visual confirmation. A road dipping under a bridge might look like major trouble to Autopilot, but info from other Tesla vehicles will confirm that it’s nothing to worry about. Tesla is changing several prominent interface alerts and requirements, which will park the vehicle if a driver does not follow warning messages.
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There’s also a new setting that forces a driver to park and restart their auto if they ignore three warnings within an hour to keep their hands on the wheel. Tesla CEO wanted to underline the fact that ideal safety is impossible to obtain, but the Tesla‘s efforts are made to increase the probability of higher safety. Until now the camera was the primary source of information for the vehicle to develop an image of the world around it. He added that the radar would apply brake in time to prevent frontal crash despite low visibility and “a big multi-car pileup” that can not be seen.
