Electric auto maker Tesla announced that they will be updating their Autopilot software.
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Tesla’s head Elon Musk mentioned that improvements in the company’s Autopilot technology could have prevented the accident on May7 in Ohio.
Musk promised a stronger and more solid Autopilot than he said could reduce vehicle accidents by more than half its current rate.
The latest update to Tesla’s Autopilot software is being described as one of its most significant to date with its radar technology now being upgraded to prevent accidents like the one that happened to the driver, Josh Brown.
The Tesla chief estimated that the new system was a threefold improvement of safety, while stopping short of considering the update a recall of the old system.
Chief executive Elon Musk told reporters on Sunday that his cars would soon make greater use of the on-board radar to detect obstacles ahead. Upgrades include a more advanced signal processing, which is made possible by its radar. According to the publication, the system could move the radar signal around the vehicle in front of a Tesla auto and sense beyond it.
The official blog discussed the problem with using radars in the Autopilot system and how the team have worked around it. Radar, which was added to all Tesla vehicles starting in October 2014, now helps the auto see things that may be blocked to cameras in bright sunlight or bad weather.
“It’s really about improving the probability of safety”.
The new restrictions introduced for Autopilot 8.0 acknowledge widespread concerns that the system lulled users into a false sense of security through its “hands-off” driving capability.
Tesla said the challenge with the radar sensor was overcoming the high number of “false alarms” the radar had been producing.
The software upgrades are slated to take effect in two weeks. The update will make sure that the driver holds the steering wheel by issuing repeated warnings; if the warnings are ignored, the auto will force the driver to park the vehicle before re-engaging the autonomous functions, the BBC explains.
Tesla Motors is making a change that it says could save lives.
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is still investigating the crash.
