Autonomous Driving

• Tesla has implemented Autonomous Driving as a feature to their cars where using self-driving algorithms, the car is able to drive itself from point A to point B.
• The Autopilot feature is currently activated by a button on the steering wheel and is able to detect speed limits and make turns
• It includes features such as visibility scanners to detect pedestrians, cars, and other objects ahead on the road, blinking indicators, lane changes, and a camera that looks to make sure the driver is paying attention.
• The Autopilot feature defaults to speed limits and encourages the driver to have light pressure on the steering wheel, and will beep if the driver looks away from the road for too long.

Autopilot Feature

• Tesla self-driving feature includes basic traffic-aware cruise control called Autopilot, which can adjust speed and lane changes on highways when driving in stop and go traffic.
• Autopilot has to be enabled by entering the destination.
• The full self-driving Beta can have different profiles to adjust the follow distance and more frequent speed lane changes.
• Autopilot may show navigation limits when unusual objects (e.g. construction) are detected.

Human Interventions

• It’s important for humans to be alert and intervene when necessary.
• Tesla’s full self-driving Beta feature may not be good enough to feel comfortable without being able to intervene.
• Autopilot may not know where to go or take the right exit when encountering unusual objects.
• Autopilot may not be able to handle a toll booth.

Robotic Taxis

• Elon Musk’s theoretical idea is to use Tesla with self-driving capabilities as robo taxis while you’re away from the car.
• However, the full self-driving Beta feature is not good enough for this yet.
• The driver has to be alert and intervene when necessary.

Highways

• Tesla’s full self-driving feature can be tested with Marques on highways.
• Tesla’s system is now vision-based, relying only on cameras rather than radar and LiDAR.
• Tesla’s system is more comfortable in roads that aren’t heavily lined, don’t have construction, or no obvious weather-related issues.
• It accurately follows distance from vehicles ahead, brakes quickly when cars brake, sees brake lights from cars around, and positions in lanes with confidence.
• It successfully made a lane change and uses the turn signal to confirm.
• At times, the system moves slower than a human driver, so Marques needs to use the gas pedal to give it a boost.
• The system demonstrated some Human-like behavior by giving more room to a bike in the lane shoulder.
• Overall, the system goes beyond its initial expectations for a highway.

Tesla Self-Driving Experience

• Tesla Autopilot features work in many instances.
• However, Tesla Autopilot can perform some embarrassing maneuvers, as if driving like an “old lady”.
• Brownlee was able to monitor the Autopilot as it navigated from truck to truck, and he kept his foot over the brakes, just in case.
• Brownlee finds himself growing increasingly nervous, as the Autopilot handles a heavily trafficked area.
• The Autopilot is able to handle the stop sign at the end of the drive, but Brownlee decides to take over the wheel when they enter the parking lot.
• Brownlee concluded the Autopilot performed fantastically on the entire drive, but he wouldn’t trust it to do this while unsupervised.
• The Autopilot detects stop signs, pedestrians and other cars with ease, proving the ability of self-driving cars to scan their surround environment.