One day, somewhere far in the future, someone will look back and think that driving without AutoPilot is primitive technology.
They may even look back and ask, “How did we survive as a species while driving blindly?”
In a video by YouTube user GreenThe Only, you get a glimpse of what Tesla ‘sees’ on the streets of Paris. The main camera is able to detect objects, lanes, the road (in green at the bottom).
Autopilot also saw many pedestrians and even got a close up view of a cyclist and also a roller skater.
Even though there were a few flaws that were noted by the author of the video who shared it back in September, Tesla has continued to improve the AutoPilot’s technology. In April of 2019, Tesla’s new FSD Computer was unveiled at the Investor’s Autonomy Day event.
Tesla FSD
Tesla, the pioneer of EVs, has evolved into a tech company like a butterfly emerging from the cocoon, ready to enhance the world for the better. The FSD, is powered by a small computer that fits behind the glovebox. This computer has been included in all Tesla cars from 2016 and forward.
This computer enables your car to ‘have eyes’.
- 8 cameras for 360 views
- 12 ultrasonic sensors
- Radar
- GPS and Maps
- Pedal and Steering
AutoPilot uses the Neural Network to do be these eyes and ears while the driver drives.
This network collects data from the space around the car and outputs what it sees. It does this as you are driving.
“The probability of this computer failing is substantially lower than that of somebody losing consciousness”
Elon Musk
AutoPilot is in use today by many owners who use it on highways, off and on ramps. The goal is to make driving safe for everyone and already, AutoPilot has saved lives.
Although there have been some of high-profile crashes where Autopilot was active, the data shows that driving with Tesla Autopilot is more than 6 times safer than other cars on the road.
In the 1st quarter on 2019, Tesla registered one accident for every 2.87 million miles driven in which drivers had Autopilot engaged. For those driving without Autopilot, Tesla registered one accident for every 1.76 million miles driven. By comparison, NHTSA’s most recent data shows that in the United States there is an automobile crash every 436,000 miles. This puts Tesla drivers at a 4x less rate of accident than other drivers, and 6x lower rate of accident with autopilot engaged.
Tesla Motors
Raghu, is one of many who have shared videos about how AutoPilot kept them from being in an accident.
These are just two of many tweets that talk about how AutoPilot has saved their life. And expect to see many more as the technological butterfly continues to evolve and transform both the auto and tech industries.
Feature Complete
In a podcast interview with ARK Invest, Elon Musk stated, “I think we will be ‘feature-complete’ on full self-driving, meaning the car will be able to find you in a parking lot, pick you up, take you all the way to your destination without any intervention this year,”
In a video by Like Tesla Kim, this exact scenario happens flawlessly as she gets to experience a, then, unreleased version of the self-driving Tesla. She even tried to block the car, but it ‘sees’ her and tried to go around her.