Tesla released details about the Autopilot software update that it will soon roll out to all Tesla vehicles. Musk said the parking feature is a “baby step” toward his eventual goal: Letting drivers summon their self-driving, self-charging cars from anywhere using their phones.
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Chief Executive Elon Musk said on Sunday that the update will rely mainly on radar to give Tesla’s electric cars a better sense of what is around them and when to brake, Reuters reports.
Joshua Brown was driving the Tesla Model S when the auto ran into the side of a semi-truck, killing him.
Tesla has said previously that Autopilot did not notice “the white side of the tractor trailer against a brightly lit sky”, but the radar-led upgrade system should.
Radar, which was added to Tesla vehicles in October 2014, had been a supplement to the onboard camera and image-processing technology, the company said Sunday.
Drivers are still required to be behind the wheel while using Autopilot, but the vehicle can change lanes, brake, steer, accelerate, decelerate and avoid obstacles on its own.
“When the data shows that false braking events would be rare, the auto will begin mild braking using radar, even if the camera doesn’t notice the object ahead”. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into the accident and safety advocates criticized Tesla for beta-testing autonomous-driving features with the public. But, said Musk, the risk of a crash while Autopilot is enabled will never be zero.
Tesla will update its cars’ Autopilot function with new safety features created to prevent collisions, the company has announced.
Tesla has promoted its Autopilot technology as an incremental step toward self-driving cars.
The official blog discussed the problem with using radars in the Autopilot system and how the team have worked around it. Rather, it’s meant to prevent drivers from drifting out of a lane and assist them with emergency braking.
While radars are more efficient and safe for passangers, there are challenges in making the technology work properly.
More to follow. Check back for updates.
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In a conference call Musk told reporters, “Ultimately, this will probably be a threefold improvement in safety”.
