Tesla’s Autopilot System Under Scrutiny

Self-driving technology is constantly evolving and is beginning to become mainstream for a lot of high-end models these days. But it seems like there’s still some refinement to be done, as Tesla’s popular  Autopilot driver assistance system has been involved in another crash.

The latest incident reports a Model 3 crashing into a state highway police cruiser in Orlando, Florida at 5am when the Autopilot system was in function. Fortunately, there was no loss of life. That being said, this doesn’t help the carmaker, which is already under a preliminary investigation by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) over its Autopilot systems.

According to the investigation, Tesla’s Autopilot has been involved in 11 incidents that have resulted in 17 injuries, including a fatality, since 2018. The report also reveals the incidents happening in the dark, as well as involving first responder vehicle lights, flares, an illuminated arrow board, and road cones.  

Currently, Tesla’s Autopilot uses ultrasonic sensors, radar and cameras to support adaptive cruise control, and auto-steer. The former uses cameras and AI algorithms to detect vehicles and pedestrians to estimate their distances. The latter also uses cameras, but to detect clearly marked lines on the road to keep the vehicle within it. While it features auto park and auto lane change, keep in mind that these features still need driver supervision for it to work.

Depending on the findings by the NHTSA, this could be huge for Tesla as all its models -- the Model 3, S, X and Y -- feature Autopilot. But as with most things in Silicon Valley, it will likely be resolved soon by software updates.

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