Tesla updates software to improve radar

The update makes the Model S sedan and Model X SUV rely more reliant on radar than cameras when driving in Tesla’s semi-autonomous Autopilot mode.

Tesla said last week it was upgrading the software to use more advanced radar technology. “It’s both going to improve the safety and improve the usefulness and comfort level of the system”.

Musk said Tesla has improved the accuracy of Autopilot by making more use of the radar sensor on Tesla vehicles.

Gao has demanded Tesla stop using the phrase “automatic driving” in its promotion of Autopilot, publicly apologise for false advertising and pay 10,000 yuan ($1,500) in compensation for the family’s grief caused by the son’s death, Cui said.

Tesla’s temperature-control function will automatically keep the temperature below 105° Fahrenheit – 40° centigrade – inside the vehicle by automatically opening vents or turning on the air conditioner as needed, Musk tweeted. Traditional cameras can have difficulty in certain lighting conditions. Musk says it’s “to make sure there aren’t small regressions”. Brown reportedly had Autopilot on, but neither he nor the Autopilot recognized the collision with a tractor trailer.

The company has said the Autopilot system, introduced previous year, is not a fully autonomous system and drivers are cautioned that they need to be at the wheel and in control.

During the trial’s opening session in Beijing Tuesday, Gao applied for an investigation into whether the autopilot was activated when the accident occurred, she added.

While the feature is (controversially) named Autopilot, it’s not meant to allow drivers to take their hands off the wheels. The feature will remain on for up to 12 hours after the driver exits the vehicle, a Tesla spokesman said.

Musk initially promised “major improvements” to the software about two weeks ago and promised to provide details about the upgrade in a blog post on August 31.

He explained on Twitter Saturday that the delay was due to an “unusually hard couple of weeks”.

Elon Musk attends the SpaceX Commerical Launch Facility on September 22, 2014. “We have tried repeatedly to work with our customer to investigate the cause of the crash, but he has not provided us with any additional information that would allow us to do so”.