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From Electrek.co:
Just a few weeks ago, we published a report about how Tesla's new radar technology for the Autopilot is already proving useful in some potentially dangerous situations. We now have a new piece of evidence that is so spectacularly clear that it's worth updating that report.
The video of an accident on the highway in the Netherlands caught on the dashcam of a Tesla Model X shows the Autopilot's forward collision warning predicting an accident before it could be detected by the driver.
[...] In the video embedded below, we can hear the Tesla Autopilot's Forward Collision Warning sending out an alert for seemingly no reason, but a fraction of a second later we understand why when the vehicle in front of the Tesla crashes into an SUV that wasn't visible from the standpoint of the Tesla driver, but apparently it was for the Autopilot's radar.
-- submitted from IRC
(Score: 4, Insightful) by vux984 on Saturday December 31 2016, @11:25PM
Yeah, sounds great... i'd love to know what's going on in traffic further ahead than the car in front of me; sensors looking at the blind spot, review camera for backing up. Radar to see through trees so as you nose out into traffic from a hidden driveway you'd know what's coming before you can 'see it' etc etc. We'd all avoid more accidents if we had more situational awareness.
Race car drivers -- have a crew that is constantly feeding it situational information about the road ahead... Rally racers have a co-pilot/navigator feeding them all kinds of information.
This is really an endorsement for more information, and I don't think anyone can disagree in the value of that. I've avoided accidents by seeing a situation develop in the vehicles ahead; I've braked in response to developing situations before the vehicle in front of me many times... but sometimes the vehicle in front of me is a big truck or the road is gently turning right, so i can't see further ahead. Radar assistance, HUD, collision alerts.. all sound like good ideas.
The 'autopilot' angle is more superfluous IMO.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 01 2017, @12:23AM
> The 'autopilot' angle is more superfluous IMO.
No. The computer's reaction time is faster than that of a typical driver. It also doesn't get distracted by screaming kids in the back seat or a hot blonde in the convertible one lane over.
NHTSA surveys have found that collision alerts have no appreciable impact on real-world results. Its only the automated braking systems that actually improve outcomes.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by vux984 on Sunday January 01 2017, @01:31AM
Automated braking systems isn't the same thing as tesla's autopilot. The former is basically just safety equipment, you can have automated brakes without having 'autopilot'.
"NHTSA surveys have found that collision alerts have no appreciable impact on real-world results."
The efficacy of collision alerts relies on fast reaction times, its not surprising that they aren't generally helpful -- an alert driver doesn't really benefit from them, and they don't generally give un-alert drivers enough time to make a difference. But this is a collision alert for something an alert driver can't see -- but would potentially have time to respond to; since he's alert. A simple 'beep beep beep' not so much, but HUD projection of the traffic ahead... coupled with a beeping could be useful.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 01 2017, @02:36AM
Whatever it takes to rationalize the belief that you are one of the 80% who consider themselves an above average driver.
Wild guess - you think ABS isn't useful either.
(Score: 2) by deadstick on Sunday January 01 2017, @04:04AM
OTOH, 50% of drivers are below median driving skills.
(Score: 2) by vux984 on Monday January 02 2017, @10:51PM
Whatever it takes to rationalize the belief that you are one of the 80% who consider themselves an above average driver.
To be fair, half of us *are* above average. I've got 20+ years driving experience, drivers ed, race track experience/education, etc... so yeah, I'm going to 'rationalize' that I'm above the average.
Wild guess - you think ABS isn't useful either.
/shrug/ I think ABS brakes have been able to brake markedly better than I can threshold brake, and have been able to do so for several iterations now.
I'm all for additional sensors, and I'm even generally in favor of automated braking for collision avoidance.
And I don't dispute the value of Telsa's driver assist technologies, nor fail to recognize that they never get tired, and never stop paying attention.
However, I'm HIGHLY skeptical of their ability to handle even moderately complicated situations on their own, and think we are MUCH further away from truly autonomous driving than Tesla et al would have you think. Two days ago, for example, the police had blockaded an area; and were hand waving people through an improvised detour 'road' that included segments of driving in the oncoming lane of a divided street, a piece of parking lot, through painted boulevard, and then through a bus-only exit to get back onto the main road. Let me know when Tesla is ready for that...
(Score: 2) by opinionated_science on Sunday January 01 2017, @05:04PM
this. I would expect to "learn" to stay calm when the car "does its thing".
I think we all see what I see - driving is terrible for humans, and I am sure I can include myself!
(Score: 2) by TheLink on Monday January 02 2017, @07:14PM
but sometimes the vehicle in front of me is a big truck
I've proposed to Google that they add sensors at near/below bumper height for their vehicles. Lots of large vehicles have higher road clearance so it's actually easier to see under them. So if someone or something is moving into your path but hidden by a parked delivery truck or bus, the sensors might detect that.
But I'm a nobody so my suggestion probably went to junk mail.