In an update to the vehicle manuals to go with the 2024.14 Spring Update, Tesla has also provided new information about its Autowiper and Vision Autopark systems.
Adjust Autowiper Sensitivity
By default, the wipers are set to Auto every time FSD engages, and when on Auto, Teslas use their cameras to determine whether the windshield is wet, and to engage the wipers. It also uses the same function to determine the wiping speed and intensity automatically.
However, as we all know the Auto functionality doesn’t always work. As part of the 2024.14 update, Tesla is now adjusting the Auto Wipers’ sensitivity if the driver presses the wiper button (causing a single wipe) while the wipers are set to Auto.
Tesla outlines the feature in the manual stating: “Pressing the wiper button while the wipers are set to Auto temporarily increases the sensitivity of the wipers.”
This is a pretty interesting change, as we recently discussed how Tesla has a difficult engineering challenge with Auto Wipers with their current hardware. Leveraging user input to feed the neural net and machine learning models is a pretty important feat in solving Autowipers using just Vision.
This ignites some hope for possible future improvements to the Auto Wipers feature, even if it is limited by focal length.
Autopark is Now Able to Park in Smaller Spots
Tesla’s Vision-based Autopark, which rolled out to USS vehicles recently, and non-USS vehicles a while back, previously required some very specific parameters to engage.
It seems that Tesla has expanded its engagement parameters – but not in the way you’re probably thinking - you can’t drive any faster than before to engage Autopark. According to the previous owner’s manual, Autopark required a parking space that was at least 7.2 feet (2.2 meters) wide. This meant that only “regular” sized parking spaces were applicable for Autopark to detect, and then park in them.
However, with the new Autopark, Tesla has updated the manual and now says that the vehicle can now detect and park in any space that is at least as wide as the driven vehicle. For the Model Y – 6.3 feet (1.92m), for the S, and X, 6.5 feet (1.99m), for the 3, 6 feet (1.84m), and in the future, for the Cybertruck, 6.5 feet (1.99m) as well.
This means that the vehicles can Autopark in much tighter spaces – an improvement of nearly 20% in the case of the Model 3.
