Tesla has again updated its driving visualizations powered by Autopilot to detect construction cones and plan around them.
Over the last few months, Tesla has been spending more time on its driving visualizations.
Powered by Autopilot’s suite of sensors and the automaker’s computer vision system, Tesla renders the vehicle’s surroundings on the screen.
It’s in no way a substitute for watching around the car, but it has been regarded as a confidence builder for Autopilot.
The visualizations have improved over the years and they are increasingly showing more of the environment accurately with Tesla adding trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, and pedestrians over the years.
Earlier this summer, Tesla released one of its biggest updates to its driving visualizations with the capability to zoom in and out as well as moving the visualization around to see 360-degree around the car.
Now Tesla has started pushing a new software update that includes the detection and visualization of traffic cones.
The automaker wrote in the release notes of the update:
“The driving visualization now displays traffic cones. In cases where a traffic cone is detected and Navigate on Autopilot is engaged (requires Full Self Driving Capability), the vehicle is designed to suggest a lane change (or attempt a lane if REQUIRE LANE CHANGE CONFIRMATION is set to NO) to avoid cones. As always, you are responsible for your vehicle and are required to pay attention at all times.”
It means that Autopilot not only detects them, but they will now act on seeing them if on ‘Navigate on Autopilot’, which suggests or initiate lane changes based on where you are going.
Some Tesla owners have put the update to the test and it seems to be working:
Ever been excited by traffic cones before? #Tesla pic.twitter.com/UR1mleUz4l
— Tesla Riders Club (@TeslaRiders) November 2, 2019
However, others are reporting that it doesn’t detect all types of traffic cones:
Please @elonmusk @karpathy @Tesla keep high attention to this case. AP, on 2019.32.12.3, still doesn’t recognize the little cones used in Italy to close an highway lane, so NoA ask to use the adiacent lane…. pushing you in front of the incoming traffic! @TeslaOwnersIT #AP2 pic.twitter.com/TOidJxW8NF
— Rosario Pingaro (@rpingar) October 28, 2019
That’s where Tesla’s fleet learning system is useful and they can now leverage their large fleet of vehicles equipped with Autopilot hardware to gather data and examples of different traffic cones and add them to their library.
As usual, even though the system is improving, Tesla makes it clear that drivers need to pay attention at all times and be ready to take control.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast.