However, Musk said that no system is ideal, LeBeau added. “It’s about improving the probability of safety”.
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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. With the latest update, the system would have identified a “large metal object across the road”, Musk said.
Musk said the software upgrade is a massive enhancement and is likely to have prevented a fatal crash in Florida in May that killed a Tesla driver.
In May 2016 a Model S in Autopilot hit a tractor trailer after the camera sensor didn’t see the white truck against the bright sky. A fatal accident in May involving Tesla’s Autopilot system prompted a preliminary evaluation of Tesla’s Autopilot system by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
A second accident involving the motor company’s autopilot mode that was reported in July is also under now under investigation.
Previously, the Tesla Model S used a camera and image processing system as the vehicle’s primary sensors.
The automaker announced in a blog post that it would be upgrading the Autopilot software to primarily rely on radar sensors instead of cameras, which will help the vehicle paint a better picture of its surroundings. The blog says, “By comparing several contiguous frames against vehicle velocity and expected path, the auto can tell if something is real and assess the probability of collision”.
The update to Autopilot comes as the technology is under investigation by two federal agencies to determine whether the feature played a role in two recent crashes, including a deadly accident in OH in May.
The software will be able to detect up to six times as many radar objects with the same hardware while generating more information about each object. Tesla gives examples of the curved base of a soda can and overhead road signs.
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He says he’s wanted to make the changes for a while, but was always met with excuses. Emergency braking will also be initiated by the vehicle when Autopilot is inactive.
