Tesla limits autopilot feature after drivers do some absurd things

Musk had previously stated that autopilot would be self-improving as it gathered more data, and in the latest software update the tendency to veer off on exit lanes is said to be already fixed.

This update features several major changes to the company’s Autopilot system.

Using a feature called “summon,” Model S drivers can park their cars from outside the vehicle in tight spots and the cars can also park themselves in perpendicular spots to the curb.

That being said, Musk does admit that his outlook is admittedly optimistic and that Tesla cars would need to be outfitted with more sensors for such a feat to be accomplished, as opposed to a mere software upgrade which is what they did for autopilot mode. The vehicle can not detect certain obstacles, must be used on a flat driveway surface, and should only be used on the owner’s private property. GM said last week it will invest $500 million in Lyft Inc. and work with the ride-sharing company to develop a network of self-driving cars.

The current version of the summon feature requires the driver to be no further than 33 feet from the auto as well as “continually monitor and maintain control of the car” when using the feature.

Your Tesla will thus eventually be able to “drive anywhere across the country to meet you, charging itself along the way”.

Tesla Motors said it was updating the Autopilot driving systems in Model S sedans to put new limits on its hands-free operation, which has been both praised for its innovation while criticised for having been launched too early.

Tesla, co-founded by billionaire Musk, has distinguished itself by automatically pushing over-the-air software updates to customers, refreshing the vehicles with new and enhanced functions. The download, for instance, programs the auto to recognize upcoming curves and slow the vehicle down into the curve as a human would.

In fact, BMW designer Adrian van Hooydonk told Business Insider at CES that OTA updates will allow vehicle companies to keep pace with tech firms on the technological front.