Tesla Hardware 2 self-driving technology
Tesla [NSDQ:TSLA] has released a video that provides insight into what its self-driving cars view the world like.
In the demonstration, a person is behind the wheel, though only for legal purposes. He doesn’t even place his hands on the wheel throughout the demo.
The vehicle, in this case a Model X fitted with a more advanced version of Tesla’s Autopilot system to what is currently available, is shown navigating a mix of traffic conditions without any driver involvement whatsoever. It safely handles intersections, stops for pedestrians and seems to have no trouble reading road signs.
Note though that it’s still early days for technology, as evidenced by some quirks even in this quick demo. For example, as the car approaches some joggers by the side of the road it comes to a stop, presumably because it thought they might want to cross. There are other times when it stops far earlier than it should. Both situations are likely to confuse other drivers. Furthermore, none of the situations are all that complex.
Still, it shows that Tesla is making major strides in the development of the technology. In October, the company said that its cars are now available with all of the hardware necessary for full self-driving, i.e. Level 5 autonomy, the ultimate goal where no driver involvement is required whatsoever. Tesla is still working on the software to control the hardware but it’s only a matter of time until it’s ready.
