Signs of new autopilot cameras at Tesla > teslamag.de

With only a slight additional delay from the latest announcement, version 10.69.2 of the beta software FSD for Tesla’s Autopilot system began distribution over the weekend, the According to CEO Elon Musk, all currently around 100,000 beta testers target. According to the instructions, the software has been better able to handle left turns on multi-lane roads since version 10.69, which had only a limited distribution. Among other things, Tesla introduced a slightly slanted positioning for a better view of crossing traffic. But as one YouTuber points out, the autopilot cameras can’t possibly see well enough in certain situations – and indeed there are signs that at least one of them will be replaced soon.

No chance for Tesla on the corner

There are intersections or junctions where a human driver has to lean forward as far as possible to see crossing traffic, explains the moderator of the YouTube channel Cyber ​​Owners in his video from the end of August. He shows an example from his own town: A small street meets a larger one, and right on the corner there is a house on the left behind a narrow sidewalk. This blocks the human view to the left unless you lean too far forward or let the car’s nose protrude into the side street.

As the YouTuber shows, the same applies to the autopilot cameras. To do this, he lays the opening angle from the Tesla website over a sketch he drew of the junction in his city. Most useful in this situation is the side and forward facing camera in the left B-pillar. But even then, according to the video, the house corner is still so much in the way that a car crossing from the left would only be recognized at a distance of less than 15 meters. Covering this distance at 50 km/h takes just over a second.

With the current camera hardware, things might inevitably get tight in some situations, says the YouTuber. However, he has already found indications that Tesla is aware of this problem and is working on a remedy. They are also from a video: Also in August Autopilot Director Ashok Elluswamy delivered a conference presentation regarding the further development – and showed sequences in a different context that reveal a broader perspective of the cameras on the front fenders.

Instead of diagonally backwards (see graphic above), the fender cameras in the Elluswamy presentation seem to look slightly forwards (and further backwards). And as Cyber ​​Owners demonstrated with another graphic, this layout on his street would be enough to register cars approaching from the left at a great distance. He is therefore convinced that Tesla is planning to exchange at least these two cameras. Unlike additional sensors or relocation, this can be done with minimal effort.

Fourth generation autopilot hardware is coming

A discovery by a Facebook user also speaks for upcoming camera innovations. According to Drive Tesla Canada, last week he photographed a Model 3 with manufacturer’s plates and a strange additional construction over one of the fender cameras. An informed person has confirmed that new cameras are planned at this point and already installed in test vehicles, reports the blog. They are said to be part of a fourth generation of hardware for the autopilot system. Tesla boss Musk confirmed last August that both an advanced FSD computer and better cameras will come. According to the report, he plans to speak more regarding it at Tesla’s second AI Day later this month.