Tesla FSD Beta 11.4.8 Release Notes Explained: Faster Decision Making, Improved Park Assist and More

A user on Reddit leaked the release notes for Tesla's next FSD Beta release

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Tesla's most recent FSD Beta, v11.4.7.3 was released almost a month ago on October 19th, but it now looks like Tesla may be looking to release another FSD Beta update.

Release notes for an alleged subsequent version, FSD Beta 11.4.8, have surfaced on Reddit. While their authenticity isn't confirmed, the release notes use the same syntax and language Tesla typically uses. Here's a breakdown of what may be included in Tesla's next FSD release.

Update: These release notes have now been confirmed and the update is rolling out to Tesla employees for further testing. The update is version 2023.27.11.

Simplified Autopilot Activation

Single-Tap Autopilot: The update reportedly allows drivers to activate Autopilot with just one press of the stalk, instead of the current two-press method. This could make engaging and disengaging Autopilot quicker and more straightforward.

This feature, along with separate audio for passengers using the rear display recently made its way to production in update 2023.38.8, which adds some credibility to these leaked release notes. This could also mean that this version of FSD Beta may be based on a more recent production branch, instead of the current version of 2023.27, which is now starting to lag in terms of features.

Advanced Video Processing

New Video Module: A new video processing component has been introduced to improve vehicle detection, movement understanding (semantics), speed (velocity), and other attributes. This improvement means the system can process visual information more efficiently and quickly, enhancing overall performance.

Enhanced Object Detection

Better Object Detection: The system's ability to notice objects crossing its path is said to be improved by 6%. Additionally, vehicle detection has become more precise due to updated data and the new video module.

Improved Vehicle Interaction

Cut-In Vehicle Detection: The precision in detecting vehicles that cut into the Tesla's lane is reportedly improved by 15%. This is crucial for safer lane changes and merges.

Accuracy in Speed and Movement

Reduced Errors in Speed and Acceleration: The system now makes fewer errors in judging other vehicles' speed (by 3%) and acceleration (by 10%). This means a more accurate response in traffic.

Faster Decision-Making

Reduced Network Latency: The update claims to reduce the delay (latency) in the vehicle's decision-making network by 15%, allowing for quicker responses without compromising performance.

Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety

Rotation Error Reduction: There's an over 8% reduction in errors related to understanding how pedestrians and cyclists are moving or turning. This could improve interactions with these road users.

Enhanced Parking Assistance

Vision Park Assist Accuracy: The geometric accuracy of the Vision Park Assist system is improved by 16%, making parking assistance more reliable by leveraging data from hardware 4 vehicles. It appears that these improvements will apply to all vehicles without ultrasonic sensors, although it's not very clear.

Smoother Lane Changes

Lane Change Accuracy: The accuracy of lane changes in response to path blockages is improved by 10%, likely leading to smoother and safer driving in complex traffic situations.

While these updates, if true, indicate a continued effort by Tesla to refine and improve FSD Beta, Tesla also continues work on the next major release of FSD Beta, version 12. V12 is expected to be 'end-to-end' neural networks, which will be the first time that neural networks are used to control the vehicle.

It's not clear when Tesla expects to release FSD v12, which is also when Musk says FSD will graduate from its beta status. Musk recently showed off FSD v12 and its capabilities in a livestream on X.

The complete release notes that were shared on Reddit are below.

FSD Beta 11.4.8 Release Notes

-Added option to activate Autopilot with a single stalk depression, instead of two, to help simplify activation and disengagement.

-Introduced a new efficient video module to the vehicle detection, semantics, velocity, and attributes networks that allowed for increased performance at lower latency.This was achieved by creating a multi-layered, hierarchical video module that caches intermediate computations to dramatically reduce the amount of compute that happens at any particular time.

-Improved distant crossing object detections by an additional 6%, and improved the precision of vehicle detection by refreshing old datasets with better autolabeling and introducing the new video module.

-Improved the precision of cut-in vehicle detection by 15%, with additional data and the changes to the video architecture that improve performance and latency.

-Reduced vehicle velocity error by 3%, and reduced vehicle acceleration error by 10%, by improving autolabeled datasets, introducing the new video module, and aligning model training and inference more closely.

-Reduced the latency of the vehicle semantics network by 15% with the new video module architecture, at no cost to performance.

-Reduced the error of pedestrian and bicycle rotation by over 8% by leveraging object kinematics more extensively when jointly optimizing pedestrian and bicycle tracks in autolabeled datasets.

-Improved geometric accuracy of Vision Park Assist predictions by 16%, by leveraging 10x more HW4 data, tripling resolution, and increasing overall stability of measurements.

-Improved path blockage lane change accuracy by 10% due to updates to static object detection networks.

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Tesla’s Optimus Robot Learns to Walk Without Vision [VIDEO]

Optimus Falls - but catches itself!

Not a Tesla App

Tesla recently showed off a demo of Optimus, its humanoid robot, walking around in moderately challenging terrain—not on a flat surface but on dirt and slopes. These things can be difficult for a humanoid robot, especially during the training cycle.

Daily walks help clear your mind pic.twitter.com/dUsW58trS6

— Tesla Optimus (@Tesla_Optimus) December 9, 2024

A Look Behind the Curtain

Most interestingly, Milan Kovac, VP of Engineering for Optimus, clarified what it takes to get Optimus to this stage. Let’s break down what he said.

Optimus is Blind

Optimus is getting seriously good at walking now - it can keep its balance over uneven ground - even while walking blind. Tesla is currently using just the sensors, all powered by a neural net running on the embedded computer. 

Essentially, Tesla is building Optimus from the ground up, relying on as much additional data as possible while it trains vision. This is similar to how they train FSD on vehicles, using LiDAR rigs to validate the vision system’s accuracy. While Optimus doesn’t have LiDAR, it relies on all those other sensors on board, many of which will likely become simplified as vision takes over as the primary sensor.

Today, Optimus is walking blind, but it’s able to react almost instantly to changes in the terrain underneath it, even if it falls or slips. 

What’s Next?

Next up, Tesla AI will be adding vision to Optimus - helping complete the neural net. Remember, Optimus runs on the same overall AI stack as FSD - in fact, Optimus uses an FSD computer and an offshoot of the FSD stack for vision-based tasks.

Milan mentions they’re planning on adding vision to help the robot plan ahead and improve its walking gait. While the zombie shuffle is iconic and a little bit amusing, getting humanoid robots to walk like humans is actually difficult.

There’s plenty more, too - including better responsiveness to velocity and direction commands and learning to fall and stand back up. Falling while protecting yourself to minimize damage is something natural to humans - but not exactly natural to something like a robot. Training it to do so is essential in keeping the robot, the environment around it, and the people it is interacting with safe.

We’re excited to see what’s coming with Optimus next because it is already getting started in some fashion in Tesla’s factories.

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Is Tesla Close to Licensing FSD? GM Quits Cruise, BMW Praises Tesla

Not a Tesla App

In a relatively surprising move, GM announced that it is realigning its autonomy strategy and prioritizing advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) over fully autonomous vehicles.

GM is effectively closing Cruise (autonomous) and focusing on its Super Cruise (ADAS) feature. The engineering teams at Cruise will join the GM teams working on Super Cruise, effectively shuttering the fully autonomous vehicle business.

End of Cruise

GM cites that “an increasingly competitive robotaxi market” and “considerable time and resources” are required for scaling the business to a profitable level. Essentially - they’re unable to keep up with competitors at current funding and research levels, putting them further and further behind.

Cruise has been offering driverless rides in several cities, using HD mapping of cities alongside vehicles equipped with a dazzling array of over 40 sensors. That means that each cruise vehicle is essentially a massive investment and does not turn a profit while collecting data to work towards Autonomy.

Cruise has definitely been on the back burner for a while, and a quick glance at their website - since it's still up for now - shows the last time they officially released any sort of major news packet was back in 2019. 

Competition is Killer

Their current direct competitor - Waymo, is funded by Google, which maintains a direct interest in ensuring they have a play in the AI and autonomy space.

Interestingly, this news comes just a month after Tesla’s We, Robot event, where they showed off the Cybercab and the Robotaxi network, as well as plans to begin deployment of the network and Unsupervised FSD sometime in 2025. Tesla is already in talks with some cities in California and Texas to launch Robotaxi in 2025.

GM Admits Tesla Has the Right Strategy

As part of the business call following the announcement, GM admitted that Tesla’s end-to-end and Vision-based approach towards autonomy is the right strategy. While they say Cruise started down that path, they’re putting aside their goals towards fully autonomous vehicles for now and focusing on introducing that tech in Super Cruise instead.

NEWS: GM just admitted that @Tesla’s end-to-end approach to autonomy is the right strategy.

“That’s where the industry is pivoting. Cruise had already started making headway down that path. We are moving to a foundation model and end-to-end approach going forward.” pic.twitter.com/ACs5SFKUc3

— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) December 10, 2024

With GM now focusing on Super Cruise, they’ll put aside autonomy and instead focus solely on ADAS features to relieve driver stress and improve safety. While those are positive goals that will benefit all road users, full autonomy is really the key to removing the massive impact that vehicle accidents have on society today.

In addition, Super Cruise is extremely limited, cannot brake for traffic controls, and doesn’t work in adverse conditions - even rain. It can only function when lane markings are clear, there are no construction zones, and there is a functional web connection. 

The final key to the picture is that the vehicle has to be on an HD-mapped and compatible highway - essentially locking Super Cruise to wherever GM has time to spend mapping, rather than being functional anywhere in a general sense, like FSD or Autopilot.

Others Impressed - Licensing FSD

Interestingly, some other manufacturers have also weighed into the demise of Cruise. BMW, in a now-deleted post, said that a demo of Tesla’s FSD is “very impressive.” There’s a distinct chance that BMW and other manufacturers are looking to see what Tesla does next. 

BMW chimes in on a now-deleted post. The Internet is forever, BMW!

Not a Tesla App

It seems that FSD has caught their eyes after We, Robot - and that the demonstrations of FSD V13.2 online seem to be the pivot point. At the 2024 Shareholder Meeting earlier in the year, Elon shared the fact that several manufacturers had reached out, looking to understand what was required to license FSD from Tesla.

There is a good chance 2025 will be the year we’ll see announcements of the adoption of FSD by legacy manufacturers - similar to how we saw the surprise announcements of the adoption of the NACS charging standard.

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