Tesla just ramped up its Autopilot system

If you’re a Tesla buyer, you were probably miffed when you realized that the self-driving hardware revision rendered your auto obsolete, even if it was just weeks old. In a recent interview, Chris Lattner shared his thoughts on self-driving technology and expressed his wish to accelerate the path to cars being appliances that solve people’s problems. Tesla will also improve the Summon feature so the vehicle can maneuver around a more complex environment to find you.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk calls the new sensor suite “HW2”, an acronym for second-generation hardware, and the software is called AP2. The Autosteer+ function, which works in tandem with Traffic Aware Cruise Control to automatically keep vehicles in their lanes during heavy traffic, will at first be limited to use at speeds below 45 miles per hour as the system collects more data. Until then, drivers will have to be satisfied with the thought that older Tesla models have better safety features than the new models. The company is validating its software “from the ground up”, and this past weekend, Tesla rolled out a speed-restricted version of its Autopilot driver assist software for Tesla cars equipped with HW2. Because of this, Teslas with new hardware still lack certain features now available on Teslas with first-generation Autopilot hardware, like Automatic Emergency Braking as well as the ability to parallel/perpendicular-park or to summon themselves.

When Tesla released Autopilot in 2015, some safety advocates questioned whether the Palo Alto, California, company and NHTSA allowed the public access to the system before testing was finished. AP2 is now being tested the same way. Designing algorithms capable of handling so-called “edge” cases – ranging from black ice, unpredictable behavior by pedestrians, cyclists and animals, unexpected objects in the road, to simply merging and changing lanes in very heavy traffic – all pose challenges to self-driving systems.

Musk made his pronouncement in Twitter comments late Monday, following previous remarks about the pace of upgrades to Tesla’s semi-automated Autopilot driving system.

It is the Silicon Valley automaker’s sole battery supplier, it helps fund and operate the Tesla “Gigafactory” in Nevada, and the company owns a small stake in the carmaker.

Since October Tesla has been offering new hardware, including sensors, as well as new releases of software to exploit that hardware’s capabilities. In fact, it would be wrong to say that Tesla works and acts more like a technology based company than an automobile company. The missing features, it seems, will show up – eventually.

Tesla this week announced plans for an update for its Enhanced Autopilot program, but if the company’s founder has his way the feature could be obsolete sooner than anticipated. Which were basically manufactured after October 2016 was being rolled out, and warned owners to be careful while their car’s cameras readapt. But the rollout includes the Forward Collision Warning feature, which is created to alert the driver with an audible sound if a collision appears likely with an object in the motorist’s path. The vehicles are programmed to alert drivers if an adjustment is necessary. “It is ever improving, and that growing capability is a big driver of enthusiasm for the brand”.

Well, they got to turn some of it on.

Automatic windshield wipers: Activates the wipers when it rains.