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Tesla Autopilot 2.0 Is Coming This Year, Source Confirms (technobuffalo.com) 136

An anonymous reader writes from a report via TechnoBuffalo: A source close to Tesla Motors confirmed to TechnoBuffalo that Tesla Autopilot 2.0 is coming soon. Other media outlets like Teslarati have reported on prototype Model S and Model X vehicles operating in the wild sporting two forward facing cameras, which may indicate part of the new hardware necessary to take advantage of Autopilot 2.0's additional features. "The dual camera system is capable of recognizing and reacting to stop signs and traffic lights with no driver input," said the source. The current Autopilot software cannot simply stop itself at a light or a stop sign on its own -- it needs a car in front of it in order to automatically slow down or stop. The added cameras should help Autopilot 2.0 read and react to traffic lights and stop signs, and thus bring Tesla's cars closer to autonomous driving. The source did mention that Tesla's current test vehicles with Autopilot 2.0 are running "very beta" software that was likely the precursor to v8.0. U.S. regulators are actively investigating 25,000 Tesla Model S cars after a fatal crash involving a vehicle using the "Autopilot" mode was reported. Despite the tragedy, Elon Musk recently said that Autopilot could save half a million lives every year if Tesla Autopilot was universally available.
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Tesla Autopilot 2.0 Is Coming This Year, Source Confirms

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  • Why is this story on the front page *twice*? Look, the technology in and of itself isn't evil. It's a tool. That said, Musk is on the record as wanting to make driving illegal. You can mod me Troll all you want, and throw around pejoratives like "SJW" all you want; but if you have networked cars, automated driving, and it's illegal to drive then that's a fascist enabling tool. Not the "right kind of person"? You don't drive. This is why I hope this particular venture fails hard. Electric cars? Yes.

    • by imgod2u ( 812837 ) on Tuesday July 05, 2016 @07:52PM (#52453017) Homepage

      You alread need to be "the right type of person" to drive. After getting 16-18 depending on the State, you have to meet requirements by the big, fascist government before you are given a driver's license. Or risk going to jail.

      I fail to see what the difference with autonomous cars would be except in some post apocalyptic survivor fantasy you may be preparing your daily choices for.

  • by John.Banister ( 1291556 ) * on Tuesday July 05, 2016 @07:53PM (#52453027) Homepage
    A little radar could go a long way in helping with collision avoidance.
    • by Anonymous Coward

      They do have radar. It is mounted below the bumper, points straight ahead, and generally does a very good job recognizing other vehicles on the road. The collision you are undoubtedly referring to involved a trailer without side-guards covering the entirety of the traffic lane, with the only radar reflective surface being high enough to be discarded as 'overhead obstruction' and the single camera failing to see enough contrast between the bright sky and white trailer to trigger collision warnings.

      The ster

    • The current system already has radar.

      The radar is the primary sensor for the traffic-aware cruise control that slows the vehicle down below the set speed when there is a slower vehicle in front.

      The camera is the primary sensor for watching the stripes on the road to handle the steering. The camera also watches for vehicles and reads speed limit signs.

      The sonar is the primary sensor for auto-park and summon features. It's also used to detect if the lane is clear for lane changes and to swerve to avoid side

      • The big thing that's missing is the radar that Google uses, a big spinning cylinder on top of the vehicle. It can map vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles that a camera would not be able to see. Elon doesn't like that it's ugly. I'll take ugly to get a more capable system.

        • It doesn't have to be ugly if it's implemented on a larger vehicle. In particular, semitractors tend to have those big fiberglass aero bits on top where you can stick that stuff.

        • by dave420 ( 699308 )

          He probably wasn't a big fan of the $75,000 price tag each LIDAR unit costs. Luckily those prices have been dropping, and are predicted to continue to drop as demand for them increases.

          Naaah I'm sure it's only because it's ugly, not because it would nearly double the price of the car.

        • by Woek ( 161635 )
          It's not a radar but a LIDAR, basically a scanning laser range finder. It's not only ugly, but ruins the aerodynamics, and is very sensitive equipment, prone to failure. Elon bets on software getting good enough in the future to not need LIDAR.
      • I read that the one that killed a guy did so because the camera was fooled. Perhaps they could use radar to back up the cameras' perceptions in more directions than just the front.
        • by crow ( 16139 )

          They already do. Obviously, they need to adjust the algorithms. The camera was fooled by the lack of contrast between the side of the truck and the sky (white truck and white clouds, perhaps). The radar was fooled by the open space under the truck, making it look like an overhead sign. The good news is that unlike most traditional accidents, this one will result in an improved design that should eliminate similar accidents in the future.

    • A little radar could go a long way in helping with collision avoidance.

      Actually they have a long range radar pointing around the car.
      And short range sonars around the car.
      But they are mounted low (as in any other car) and not correctly distinguish a object that is close and high.
      (Like the trailer).

      Dual camera, by the simple reason of using stereoscopic correlation, can correctly pinpoint anything in 3D space, instead of relying on simple inference from quick projection or using motion cues.
      (Similar to what is done by most japanese brands and some mercedes)

      NOW, TESLA, COULD YOU

  • Awesome! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by penguinoid ( 724646 ) on Tuesday July 05, 2016 @07:58PM (#52453047) Homepage Journal

    Now instead of working autonomously 99% of the time, it'll work autonomously 99.9% of the time! That's good enough for me to just let it do its thing while I watch a movie.

    • You may only watch 99% of the movie otherwise you'll die. And if you figure out the wrong moment to not watch the movie but focus on the street you'll die too.

      • by Jeremi ( 14640 )

        You may only watch 99% of the movie otherwise you'll die. And if you figure out the wrong moment to not watch the movie but focus on the street you'll die too.

        Huh. Wasn't that the plot of "The Ring" ?

      • Re:Awesome! (Score:5, Funny)

        by wildsurf ( 535389 ) on Wednesday July 06, 2016 @02:11AM (#52454457) Homepage
        That driver shouldn't have been watching the movie. He should have been watching the trailer.
  • It kind of sounds to me like if you're incapacitated to the point where the autopilot might save your life, you shouldn't be driving at that point anyway. Having the autopilot will just encourage people to bet their lives on a piece of equipment they clearly don't understand.
    • by Anonymous Coward

      It kind of sounds to me like if you're incapacitated to the point where the autopilot might save your life, you shouldn't be driving at that point anyway. Having the autopilot will just encourage people to bet their lives on a piece of equipment they clearly don't understand.

      Like texting, which people do while driving a LOT! They shouldn't do that, like people shouldn't rely on autopilot. As a pedestrian I want some sort of auto collision avoidence on these multi ton death machines operating near feet from me that people obviously are not paying enough attention to the operation of.

    • And every day hundreds of people die because they don't recognize what there real capability of driving is. Human are making mistakes everyday resulting in 1.25 million road death per year.
  • by wwalker ( 159341 )

    The current Autopilot software cannot simply stop itself at a light or a stop sign on its own -- it needs a car in front of it in order to automatically slow down or stop.

    In v3.0 they'll add a check for huge trailers too, I hope?

    • by Anonymous Coward

      Now, now. Let's not lose our heads over this...

  • Now it scans social media and won't let you start it if you've ever posted pictures of yourself doing stupid things while in the driver's seat.

  • Reading signs (Score:4, Informative)

    by genka ( 148122 ) on Tuesday July 05, 2016 @10:34PM (#52453749) Homepage Journal
    Reading the signs is not particularly complex. My BMW i3 reads the speed limit signs and duplicates them on the dashboard.
    • Reading the signs is not particularly complex. My BMW i3 reads the speed limit signs and duplicates them on the dashboard.

      What about if I print off my own version of a road sign with 5km/h on it? Because no-one would ever think of doing that for a laugh...

  • Telsa AutoPilot 2.0
    -Fixed bug where the car would crash into things if the sun was too bright
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • by ai4px ( 1244212 )
      Just because you making getting a license harder doesn't mean fewer will drive. Just because you suspend a license doesn't mean they won't drive.

      In my area, people drive around all the time with paper tags so faded you can't read them. Police don't enforce it. Drunks get DUIs and keep driving. The state never (seldom) impounds their cars. That would be step in the right direction. My un-insured coverage is /more/ than my liability insurance!

      In the past several years the drunks who've lost their cars

  • Are U.S. regulators really actively investigating 25,000 Tesla Model S cars? Are they making appointments with the owners and checking under the hood or something?

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