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The Tesla autopilot system, also known as the Full Self Driving (FSD) is a revolutionary autopilot system designed to become fully autonomous in the near future. (The Economic Times, 2023) Our research is focused primarily on the safety features of the system, the autopilot software and how they work in conjunction with the Graphical User Interface (GUI). There are three levels to the autopilot system which vary based on how much you pay for the vehicle. It starts off with the basic autopiloting system, the enhanced autopiloting system and lastly the full self-driving capability system, which unfortunately costs way more than the base features of the autopilot system. (Ahsan, 2023) Tesla Vision, which are eight externally installed cameras around the vehicle provide a 360-degree view of its surroundings, so as to identify whatever obstacles you might encounter on the road. Tesla recently made the switch from radar to cameras as they believe that the cameras will be able to view its surroundings and be able to imitate the way a human brain works. (Dnistran, 2023) Tesla has also gotten rid of the traditional buttons and controls on the dashboard and has instead opted to replace it with just one big touchscreen device placed right in the middle of the driver’s and passenger’s seat. The device displays important statistics and statuses of the vehicle's performance. (Not a Tesla App Staff, 2024) It also shows a full view of a 3D model of the entire vehicle when it is on the road and displays oncoming vehicles around you, traffic lights, road hazards, curbs etc.
The Tesla Vision technology works by processing specific visual data captured and collected by eight externally installed cameras through neural networks (CARADAS, 2024). These networks can learn from various patterns and experiences to make more accurate predictions on the road, as they were designed to mimic the functioning of the human brain. The cameras located around the vehicle can detect and process distances of up to 250 meters, depending on their location on the car (Tesla, 2024). Autosteering, another key component of Tesla Vision, uses the cameras to help the car stay centered in its lanes, maintain a safe distance from other vehicles, and navigate obstacles on the road (Scott, 2023). Additionally, Tesla's autopiloting system uses the cameras to detect and avoid possible collisions by automatically applying the brakes to prevent or mitigate the impact of an accident. Lastly, there is a feature called Summon, which allows drivers to remotely control and move their vehicles in and out of tight spots or parking lots using the Tesla app on their smartphones, as long as the vehicle can detect the driver's key nearby. The driver can set the clearance distance of the vehicle's bumper, sides, and the distance they want it to move before using the Summon function.
Starting with the first level of Tesla's FSD system, the autopilot system functions in a way that is similar to a normal adaptive cruise control system, where the driver is required to set the desired speed he wants to travel at. (Stern, 2024) The system will then ensure that the speed is maintained and slow down accordingly to other vehicles ahead of it to match their speed on the road. It also includes steering assistance which keeps the car within the lane markers of the road. The second level, which is known as the enhanced autopilot system, has all the base features of the first level as well as navigation functionality. It works on the basis that once a route has been locked into the navigation system, the vehicle will also be able to switch lanes automatically to overtake slower vehicles ahead of it or to take exit ramps off the highway to stay on the same route that has been programmed into it. The highest level of the Full Self-Driving Capability ensures that the vehicle can navigate and drive through city streets with little input from the driver as it includes Autosteering, which is different from steering assistance mentioned in the first level of the FSD system as Autosteering also can notice traffic lights and signs around it, as well as stopping fully and then moving off depending on the traffic situation. Even though the FSD system might seem like a fully autonomous system, drivers are still required to have both hands on the steering wheel at all times. Failure to comply with this will result in multiple warnings which will ultimately result in the car slowing down and then finally turning off. ( Voitins, 2024). Drivers are also able to override the system by simply using the brakes, steering the vehicle, or applying the cruise control stalk.
According to Julian Van Der Merwe (2023), many Tesla drivers have come out to talk about the major problems with Tesla Vision on social media. Tesla Vision is a major component of the FSD system as it relies on the cameras installed to gauge certain requirements for the vehicle on the road. Some of the problems include the camera fogging up in cold weather conditions, causing many other features to cease operations as well. In 2022, Tesla announced that they will be completely removing ultrasonic sensors from future Tesla Vehicles aside from the existing vehicles and fully transitioning over to Tesla Vision, which is a camera-reliant Autopiloting System. (Cihak, 2022) The reason for this change was because of Tesla's idea of how roads were designed for human beings to navigate the roads with a vision-based system, which are the neural nets in their brains. (Lambert, 2022) The manufacturer believes that it would be better to rely on cameras and artificial neural nets alone instead of allowing radar data to influence the system. Due to the heavy reliance on the cameras, it may struggle in bad weather conditions, such as heavy snowfall, rain, or strong sunlight. These conditions may obstruct the camera's functions and limit its capabilities.
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