Tesla's autopilot, on the road

[GRA]

Via IEVS:

Tesla Model S Hits Truck While Automatically Parallel Parking – Video + Image

http://insideevs.com/tesla-model-s-hits-truck-automatically-parallel-parking-video-image/

 

[edatoakrun]

WSJ's report on what has become a long strange Autopilot trip, as illustrated by increasingly nonsensical comments from Elon Musk.

Tesla Plans Software Update for Autopilot Feature Within Two Weeks

Auto maker says revision may have prevented first fatal crash in May

...“Ultimately, this will probably be a threefold improvement in safety” compared with the current version, Mr. Musk told reporters on a conference call...

As part of the changes to Autopilot, the system will disengage if drivers ignore three warnings within the span of an hour to keep their hands on the wheel. To reactivate the system, the vehicle would have to be stopped and restarted...

Some Tesla drivers have admitted that Autopilot’s success may have lulled them into a false sense of security. “I look down at my phone a little more than I used to,” Jason Hughes, an Autopilot user from Hickory, N.C., told The Wall Street Journal in July. “People are overly confident in it, in my opinion. They think it can do magical things, but it can’t go beyond what its sensors tell it.”

Mr. Musk appeared to acknowledge this on Sunday, saying that Autopilot accidents are far more likely among expert users then novices. The current system alerts drivers when their hands have been off the wheel too long depending upon driving conditions, and it slows the vehicles if they don’t respond. Some users ignored 10 warnings to keep their hands on the wheel in an hour, he said. “They get very comfortable with it and repeatedly ignore the car’s warnings,” he said. “We really want to avoid that situation.”...

http://www.wsj.com/articles/tesla-plans-software-update-for-autopilot-feature-within-two-weeks-1473625029

Unfortunately, this patch will do little to correct the glaringly obvious obvious flaw with the Autopilot design.

The most important sensors in any semi-autonomous vehicle are those required to asses the driver's competency, and autopilot's merely monitoring the driver's hand movements is entirely inadequate as a means to make this determination.

Several other automakers seem to be far ahead of TSLA in semi-autonomous vehicle design, as the article below illustrates:

Eye-Tracking Technology for Cars Promises to Keep Drivers Alert

GM’s Super Cruise will read an operator’s face to make sure eyes don’t wander off the road

Future buyers of General Motors Co. ’s semiautonomous driving system will have to be comfortable with Big Brother sitting in the passenger seat.

The nation’s largest auto maker aims to release its Super Cruise on a Cadillac next year, and will feature eye tracking in the cabin, a first for a U.S. car maker.

GM will duel with Volvo Car Corp.’s Pilot Assist and Tesla Motors Inc. ’s Autopilot, both driver-assistance systems that can control a moving vehicle. While Tesla’s Autopilot requires periodic handling by the driver, GM’s system is expected to go a step further in monitoring the alertness of human drivers...

GM’s Super Cruise software can detect if a driver is dozing off or not watching the road, and uses audible and visual alerts to grab the person’s attention. If the alerts don’t work, a representative with the auto maker’s OnStar information service will activate the vehicle’s intercom and communicate with the car’s operator. If the driver still doesn’t respond, the car will pull over on the side of the freeway and stop.

The Detroit car maker, which has been testing the eye-tracking feature for a couple of years, hopes to be ahead of its domestic competitors and cater to consumers who increasingly are looking for automated driving-assistance features...

http://www.wsj.com/articles/gms-driver-assist-technology-promises-to-nag-1473413432

 

[RegGuheert]

Several other automakers seem to be far ahead of TSLA in semi-autonomous vehicle design, as the article below illustrates:

Eye-Tracking Technology for Cars Promises to Keep Drivers Alert

GM’s Super Cruise will read an operator’s face to make sure eyes don’t wander off the road

Future buyers of General Motors Co. ’s semiautonomous driving system will have to be comfortable with Big Brother sitting in the passenger seat.

The nation’s largest auto maker aims to release its Super Cruise on a Cadillac next year, and will feature eye tracking in the cabin, a first for a U.S. car maker.

GM will duel with Volvo Car Corp.’s Pilot Assist and Tesla Motors Inc. ’s Autopilot, both driver-assistance systems that can control a moving vehicle. While Tesla’s Autopilot requires periodic handling by the driver, GM’s system is expected to go a step further in monitoring the alertness of human drivers...

GM’s Super Cruise software can detect if a driver is dozing off or not watching the road, and uses audible and visual alerts to grab the person’s attention. If the alerts don’t work, a representative with the auto maker’s OnStar information service will activate the vehicle’s intercom and communicate with the car’s operator. If the driver still doesn’t respond, the car will pull over on the side of the freeway and stop.

The Detroit car maker, which has been testing the eye-tracking feature for a couple of years, hopes to be ahead of its domestic competitors and cater to consumers who increasingly are looking for automated driving-assistance features...

http://www.wsj.com/articles/gms-driver-assist-technology-promises-to-nag-1473413432

What's ironic here is that professional airline pilots have successfully managed to keep video monitoring out of the cockpit in spite of repeated attempts to introduce it. Instead, they endure audio monitoring and enjoy an excellent safety record while employing the wide range of autonomy which is available in the cockpit.

But the cockpit of a commercial aircraft is a "workplace" where some monitoring is considered a requirement in order to improve aircraft designs and pilot training in the wake of accidents. But full video monitoring within a private environment is an entirely different thing. I suspect GM will have difficulty selling such monitoring to the public, but we will have to wait and see.

 

[TimLee]

... But full video monitoring within a private environment is an entirely different thing. I suspect GM will have difficulty selling such monitoring to the public, but we will have to wait and see.

I sure wish I had it when I was making the four hour drive twice a week when I changed jobs :shock:

As long as it is local to the car and doesn't record data but only alerts the driver why would anyone not want it :?:

 

[edatoakrun]

Another fatal Tesla crash reportedly on Autopilot emerges, Model S hits a streetsweeper truck – caught on dashcam

New reports are coming out of China today claiming that the first fatality in a Tesla Model S on Autopilot was not the widely-covered crash in Florida in May 2016 that resulted in the death of Joshua Brown, but actually an accident in China in January 2016.

The accident was under investigation for the first half of the year, but the family of the victim reportedly sued ‘Tesla China’ back in July and now details of the crash are coming to light in the Chinese media...

https://electrek.co/2016/09/14/another-fatal-tesla-autopilot-crash-emerges-model-s-hits-a-streetsweeper-truck-caught-on-dashcam/

Tesla Seeks Information on Model S Fatal Crash in China

Auto maker attempts to determine if Autopilot system was involved in January accident

Tesla Motors Inc. said Wednesday that a fatal crash in January involving one of its vehicles in China was so extensive that it hasn’t been able to determine whether the car’s Autopilot system was engaged...

http://www.wsj.com/articles/tesla-seeks-information-on-model-s-fatal-crash-in-china-1473884525

 

[EVDrive]

Big Tesla fan here... However, I don't trust auto pilot one bit to not kill me if I take my eyes off the road. I think calling it autopilot is a huge mistake. They are safety features. You would have to be a fool to rely on autopilot to save you after the system didn't prevent a driver from hitting the broad side of a truck. Trusting autopilot with your life is like playing with a death wish. Russian roulette pilot would be a more accurate name.

 

[edatoakrun]

While I suspected Musk had misrepresented the story behind the Tesla/Mobileye breakup last month, in the interview below Amnon Shashuahe is brutally frank in his comments on Tesla's high-risk behavior in promoting autopilot:

Mobileye says Tesla was 'pushing the envelope in terms of safety'

Mobileye (MBLY.N) broke ties with Tesla Motors (TSLA.O) because the Silicon Valley firm was “pushing the envelope in terms of safety” with the design of its Autopilot driver-assistance system, Mobileye’s chairman said on Wednesday.

"It is not designed to cover all possible crash situations in a safe manner," Amnon Shashua, who is also chief technology officer at the Israel-based maker of collision detection and driver assistance systems, told Reuters.

“No matter how you spin it, (Autopilot) is not designed for that. It is a driver assistance system and not a driverless system,” he said in an interview...

Shashua said the company had reservations about the mixed messages from Tesla about Autopilot - both boasting of its capabilities while cautioning that drivers needed to keep their hands on the wheel - especially after watching Tesla’s response to the Florida crash.

“Long term this is going to hurt the interests of the company and hurt the interests of an entire industry, if a company of our reputation will continue to be associated with this type of pushing the envelope in terms of safety,” he said...

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mobileye-tesla-idUSKCN11K2T8

Mobileye chairman questions safety of Tesla’s Autopilot: report

...At the time of the split, Shashua implied Mobileye was stuck on the wrong end of a one-sided relationship. “I think in a partnership, we need to be there on all aspects of how the technology is being used, and not simply providing technology,” he said in July.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a July statement that Mobileye was not able to evolve its technology fast enough for Tesla’s needs. “Tesla is laser-focused on achieving full self-driving capability,” Musk said. Analysts at Morgan Stanley seemed to agree, speculating that the split between the partners was likely due to Tesla’s desire to go its own way...

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/mobileye-chairman-questions-safety-of-teslas-autopilot-report-2016-09-14

 

[GRA]

I note this statement in the reuters article:

Still, Musk said the revised system will allow a driver's hands to be off the wheel for up to three minutes while following a car at highway speeds.

That's still far too long, warnings be damned. Here's what another article says:

The revised system will sound warnings if drivers take their hands off the wheel for more than a minute at speeds above 45 miles per hour (72 kph) when there is no vehicle ahead, Musk said.

The warning will sound after the driver’s hands are off the wheel for more than three minutes when the Tesla is following another car at speeds above 45 mph. The dashboard also will flash a pulsing light.

If the driver ignores three audible warnings in an hour, the system will temporarily shut off until it is parked, Musk said.

These are apparently based on direct quotes from Elon. What could possibly go wrong while a driver is allowed to ignore the road for 1 to 3 minutes?

 

[TimLee]

... And our new Summon feature lets you "call" your car from your phone so it can come greet you at the front door in the morning.

Sure no hands on the wheel while it is doing that :shock: :!:

What could possibly go wrong while your Tesla is driving itself when you Summon it to your front door :? :shock:

It could run over your dog, or cat, or child, or you if you are standing in the wrong spot when it arrives.

But I'm sure after a few trial and error failures at the Tesla drivers risk, that Tesla will figure out what went wrong and improve the system.

Tesla better be getting one hell of a good liability waiver from everyone driving a Tesla :? :shock:

 

[GRA]

... And our new Summon feature lets you "call" your car from your phone so it can come greet you at the front door in the morning.

Sure no hands on the wheel while it is doing that :shock: :!:

What could possibly go wrong while your Tesla is driving itself when you Summon it to your front door :? :shock:

It could run over your dog, or cat, or child, or you if you are standing in the wrong spot when it arrives.

But I'm sure after a few trial and error failures at the Tesla drivers risk, that Tesla will figure out what went wrong and improve the system.

Tesla better be getting one hell of a good liability waiver from everyone driving a Tesla :? :shock:

Tesla did already change it twice:

Tesla to Fix Self-Parking Feature After Consumer Reports Raises Safety Concern

http://www.consumerreports.org/car-safety/tesla-fixes-self-parking-feature-after-consumer-reports-raises-safety-concern/

So, no more "push and forget it" (until it hits a trailer):

Tesla pushes a new update to its ‘Summon’ feature following a recent Autopilot crash

https://electrek.co/2016/05/17/tesla-new-update-summon-autopilot-crash/

 

[GRA]

Via GCR (David Noland):

CA to restrict use of term Autopilot: Tesla-owning pilot weighs in

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1106509_ca-to-restrict-use-of-term-autopilot-tesla-owning-pilot-weighs-in

. . . Last week, that state's Department of Motor Vehicles published the draft of a proposed new regulation that “…prohibits the advertisement of lower levels of automated systems, where the human driver is still responsible for monitoring or control of the vehicle, as ‘autonomous,’ ‘self-driving,’ or other similar terms.”

The word “auto-pilot” is then cited as a word that could “induce a reasonable person to believe a vehicle is autonomous….”

. . . does the Autopilot system from Tesla Motors perform anything like the autopilots in aircraft? As both a Tesla Model S owner and a former private pilot, I’ve used both. In my experience, the two systems play vastly different roles in a pilot/driver’s interaction with his vehicle. Any Tesla driver who thinks his “Autopilot” performs anything like an aircraft autopilot will be sadly mistaken.

Surprisingly, the Federal Aviation Administration’s autopilot regulations, as quoted by Electrek, sound a lot like Tesla’s official admonitions about its earthbound Autopilot. . . . But there the similarity ends.

Based on my experience, airplane autopilots are far more reliable and effective than their Tesla cousins. In fact, it’s not even close. And because there’s so little to run into up in the skies, the consequences of momentary pilot inattention are actually far less dangerous than on a highway. So I’d have to agree with the DMV. Using the word “Autopilot” to describe Tesla’s driver-assistance features may very well contribute to the false sense of security that apparently triggered at least two fatal Tesla accidents. . . .

. . .the Tesla Autopilot is by no means a device that drives the car, any more than cruise control “drives” the car. And many people seem not to understand that.

It’s a useful tool. Call it "adaptive cruise control with lanekeeping," perhaps. But until the car is truly autonomous, don’t call it Autopilot.

 

[palmermd]

Via GCR (David Noland):

. . .the Tesla Autopilot is by no means a device that drives the car, any more than cruise control “drives” the car. And many people seem not to understand that.

It’s a useful tool. Call it "adaptive cruise control with lanekeeping," perhaps. But until the car is truly autonomous, don’t call it Autopilot.

I agree with this. Even if they were right about the similarity with airplane autopilot, the reality is that there seem to be too many people who don't understand the term, so it should be renamed. "ACCwL" seems a bit awkward, but I'm sure there are some clever people who will give it a good name.

 

[finman100]

I believe the "clever people" are Tesla. And the "good name" for this tech is Autopilot.

Name it anything you like and people will find a way to NOT use tech properly. We humans are like that. Well, some of us.

 

[GRA]

I believe the "clever people" are Tesla. And the "good name" for this tech is Autopilot.

Name it anything you like and people will find a way to NOT use tech properly. We humans are like that. Well, some of us.

While true, that doesn't mean that you should deliberately choose a misleading name, as Tesla did. Other companies are calling it "Driver Assist" or some such, which is far more accurate. It will be interesting to see what happens in California now, as calling it "Autopilot" appears to be illegal now given its current capabilities. Will the state act on its own, or will it take a lawsuit by an owner (or their next of kin) to impel the state to enforce the regulation? And will Tesla try and fight it, or accept it, change the name and move on? In the latter case, it will likely be a battle between Elon's ego and pragmatism. Of course, if they can boost the performance to Level 4 or 5 first they could avoid that, but that seems to be several years out.

 

[garsh]

While true, that doesn't mean that you should deliberately choose a misleading name, as Tesla did.

Autopilot is an accurate name. Unfortunately people such as yourself don't understand what an autopilot does.

Other companies are calling it "Driver Assist" or some such, which is far more accurate.

ORLY?

 

[edatoakrun]

="garsh"...Unfortunately people...don't understand what an autopilot does...

Unfortunately many people also don't understand what Tesla's Autopilot does.

German government report critical of Tesla Autopilot - Spiegel

Oct 7 The Autopilot function on Tesla Motors Inc's Model S car represents a "considerable traffic hazard", according to an internal report for Germany's Transport Ministry seen by magazine Der Spiegel.

Experts in the Federal Highway Research Institute carried out tests on the electric car and criticised it on a number of points, the magazine reported on Friday.

For example, drivers are not alerted by the Autopilot system when the vehicle gets into a situation that the computer cannot solve, Spiegel cited the report as saying.

In addition, the car's sensors do not detect far back enough during an overtaking manoeuvre, while the emergency brake also performs inadequately, according to the report...

http://www.reuters.com/article/tesla-germany-idUSL5N1CD38W?type=companyNews

 

[GRA]

While true, that doesn't mean that you should deliberately choose a misleading name, as Tesla did.

Autopilot is an accurate name. Unfortunately people such as yourself don't understand what an autopilot does.

Both David Noland and I have flown autopilot-equipped a/c (a limited amount in my case), so I think we have a good understanding of what an autopilot needs to do and does, and what Tesla's doesn't and can't in a much more demanding environment. But let's leave me aside, and consider only Noland. He's a former instrument-rated pilot who also owns a Model S. He goes into detail in the article about the different operating environments and requirements of a/c and ground autopilots, and how Tesla's doesn't even approach what's needed. Are you saying he doesn't understand what an autopilot does?

Other companies are calling it "Driver Assist" or some such, which is far more accurate.

ORLY?

Uh huh, and look what happened almost immediately after they ran that:

Mercedes pulls ‘self-driving car’ advert following concerns over Tesla’s use of ‘Autopilot’

https://electrek.co/2016/07/29/mercedes-pull-self-driving-car-claim-advert-tesla-autopilot/

When we reported on the European Public Road Authority supporting Tesla’s Autopilot system following some concerns over the use of the word ‘Autopilot’ and the program being in ‘beta’ earlier this month, we also mentioned that a bigger concern could be Mercedes calling its E-Class with ‘Drive-Pilot’ a ‘self-driving car’ in an advert, which is significantly more misleading than Tesla’s ‘Autopilot’.

Now we learn that the automaker is pulling the ad following Consumer Reports complaint to the FTC. . . .

Mercedes Pulled a Self-Driving Car Ad Because It’s Not Actually a Self-Driving Car

http://fortune.com/2016/07/30/mercedes-pulls-self-driving-car-ad/

The car has automated-driving features, but is not totally self-driven.

Mercedes-Benz has pulled a TV commercial off air after criticism that the ad misleadingly suggests its new 2017 E-Class car has more self-driving capabilities than it actually does. . . . The car does have some automated-driving features, including cruise control and automated steering. The ad shows a driver lifting his hands off the steering wheel as the car appears to steer and park itself.

It later includes a warning at the bottom of the screen: “Vehicle cannot drive itself, but has automated driving features. The system will remind the driver frequently to keep hands on the steering wheel. Always observe safe driving practices and obey all road traffic regulations.”

Consumer Reports and the Center for Auto Safety called for the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the ad, arguing that it provides consumers with “a false sense of security in the ability of the car to operate autonomously,” Forbes reports . . . .

 

[pchilds]

Drive-Pilot is okay, but, Autopilot is not? To me Drive-Pilot sounds just as autonomous as Autopilot.

 

[GRA]

Drive-Pilot is okay, but, Autopilot is not? To me Drive-Pilot sounds just as autonomous as Autopilot.

Definitely skating close to the line. 'Driver Assist' or some such (Noland's "Adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping") is by far the best, as it makes clear that the driver remains in control. In other words it's like AEB, implying an additional safety layer on top of the driver's own skills, rather than a replacement for them.

 

[GRA]

Via GCR:

Tesla Autopilot 8.0 better, still needs improvement, says Consumer Reports

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1106567_tesla-autopilot-8-0-better-still-needs-improvement-says-consumer-reports

The magazine Consumer Reports has been one of the most vocal critics of Tesla's Autopilot driver-assistance system. It has called for Tesla to disable Autopilot's automated-steering feature, calling the technology "too much, too soon." It also called on Tesla to stop using the "Autopilot" name, claiming it could be misleading.

But now Tesla is launching an upgraded version of Autopilot as part of its version 8.0 software update, including some changes meant to address criticism of its safety. Consumer Reports recently tested Autopilot 8.0 on its own Tesla Model S, concluding that the new system is "better, but still needs improvement." Autopilot now provides additional warnings to drivers to keep their hands on the wheel, which testers liked.

Autopilot also now checks more frequently if drivers have their hands on the wheel, Consumer Reports noted. It now issues its first warning to put hands on the wheel within a minute of taking them off, as opposed to more than three minutes previously. Mercedes-Benz's Drive Pilot provides warnings within the same time frame, while other systems do so within 15 seconds, the magazine noted.

Visual warnings have also been made more apparent, and are followed by a loud beeping sound. If the driver ignores this, Autopilot will eventually shut off. The only way to reactivate the system in this situation is to pull over, and restart the car. Tesla is also more selective now about where Autopilot can be activated, placing more restrictions on roads that are curvy or have unclear lane markings, says Consumer Reports. . . .

While It considers Autopilot improved, however, Consumer Reports still has some issues with the system. Tesla's changes to Autopilot still have not addressed all of its concerns. Autopilot still waits too long to warn drivers to put their hands back on the wheel, it suggests. It also still shouldn't be called Autopilot—and it notes Tesla's use of the term "public beta" to describe the system indicates it is unfinished. . . .

Tesla Motors and other automakers must "take stronger steps to ensure that these systems are designed, deployed, and marketed safely," the magazine said. . . .

From CR's own report:

. . . And just last week the California Department of Motor Vehicles released draft regulations that seek to define the circumstances under which carmakers can use terms including “self-driving,” “automated,” or “auto-pilot.” Specifically, the proposed rules would bar the use of these terms unless a vehicle is truly autonomous[/b].

More carmakers are offering semi-autonomous driving systems. For instance, Mercedes-Benz has a system called Drive Pilot, BMW’s is Active Driving Assistant Plus, and Volvo’s is Pilot Assist. They have the potential to improve safety, but we can’t make that determination until there is a sufficient body of evidence in the field comparing accident records of cars with the systems, to those without. In the meantime, Consumer Reports believes that as long as these systems require driver engagement, then they also should require drivers to keep their hands on the wheel. . . .

Autopilot also is more restrictive now about the roads where it allows you to activate the system. If the car senses that the road is too twisty or the road markings disappear, Autopilot won't engage. Our experience with the system also found more roads where the driver can only set Autopilot to 5 miles per hour over the speed limit . . ..

http://www.consumerreports.org/tesla/tesla-new-autopilot-better-but-needs-improvement/

5 mph over the limit is an accurate reflection of how many people drive. Personally, I think use of Lane Keeping + ACC should be confined to the speed limit - if you want to cruise at extra-legal speeds you can use CC, but not lane keeping. It eliminates any legal ambiguity about who is controlling the car and choosing to violate the law, and also ensures that the driver maintains a higher level of attention.