The updates are expected to be rolled out within the coming two weeks. 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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Tesla Motors unveiled updates to its Autopilot feature after the semi-autonomous technology was involved in a fatal crash earlier this year.
For those wondering what the update could contain, Tesla has since officially announced the upgrade which according to the company, will now rely more on its radar system. The Model S, traveling at 74 miles per hour with a 65 miles per hour speed limit, hit the trailer and traveled under it before veering off the road, killing driver Joshua Brown. 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.
Despite the limitations of radar, Autopilot 8.0 can supposedly unlocks access to six-times as many radar objects than its range of cars could before. It declined to provide an update on its Tesla investigation. “If several cars drive safely past a given radar object, whether Autopilot is turned on or off, then that object is added to the geocoded whitelist”, said Tesla.
The update will also penalize inattentive drivers. Radar was initially added to Tesla vehicles in October 2014 as part of the Autopilot hardware suite. The radar technology was previously a supplementary sensor, double checking the readings of the car’s optical sensors, but with Autopilot 8, radar is now the primary means by which a Tesla vehicle builds a picture of the road ahead.
Mr. Musk has vigorously defended the Autopilot technology, saying it improves safety.
Using radar, which detects objects by sending out pulses of electromagnetic waves to detect objects, to guide vehicles is complicated because the waves interact differently than light waves with objects in the roadway.
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While radars are more efficient and safe for passangers, there are challenges in making the technology work properly. “It’s about improving the probability of safety”. The Autopilot 8.0 will automatically shut off if the driver ignores repeated warnings to put their hands on the steering wheel.
