Tesla has updated the radio icon and removed the FM label
Not a Tesla App
With every major Tesla update there are often smaller changes or features that aren't mentioned in the release notes.
The main attractions of Tesla update 2022.28 are the ability to minimize a full-screen video and Alternate Routes, however, several undocumented features also made it into 2022.28.
Suggested Destinations
Tesla is adding suggested destinations
Randell/Discord
When tapping on the 'Navigate' button, you will now be presented with various suggested destinations. You will receive up to three suggested destinations that will appear at the top of recent destinations. These suggestions will automatically change depending on various factors. You can also find out more about suggested destinations.
Dark Mode Colors
Tesla has made some changes to dark mode
@ClemensBecher/Twitter
The dark mode color scheme has been adjusted so that various screens now use lighter gray tones. For example, prior to this update the car visualization area and apps like the media player both used the same dark gray color for the background.
However, with this update, Tesla has changed the background color of apps from a dark gray to a much lighter gray so that they stand out from the vehicle visualizations.
Changes to the Theater Status Bar
Most options in the Tesla Theater status bar have been removed
@ClemensBecher
With this update Tesla introduces the ability to minimize Tesla Theater, allowing you to access vehicle menus and settings without leaving your streaming video.
Previously while streaming video in full screen, there was a quick access bar at the top of the video that could be revealed by tapping near the top of the screen. This status bar lets you access some vehicle controls without leaving the video. Video controls such as cabin temperature, screen brightness and volume could easily be changed.
Since you can now minimize a full-screen video without leaving the video app, Tesla has mostly removed the options that once appeared at the top of a video.
When tapping near the top of the screen, the number of options has been reduced to minimize theater, a back button and the state of charge of your battery.
A gray line has also been added to the top of the screen to let you know that you can now swipe down on the full-screen video to access other car functions.
Phone Icon
The phone icon is now always visible when a call is active
Corey2002/Not a Tesla App forums
When you're on a call in the vehicle, the green phone icon will now always remain visible in the status bar, regardless if the phone card is hidden or not. The icon in the status bar has also changed shape slightly, going from a pill shape to a square.
Battery Calibration
A message will now be displayed when the vehicle is calibrating its battery
@roslan3d/Twitter
Your vehicle will now display 'Calibrating,' when charging is nearing completion. This will be displayed for all vehicles, regardless of their battery type.
New Radio Icon
Tesla has updated the radio icon and removed the FM label (rendering)
Not a Tesla App
The radio icon has also been updated to be more ambiguous with this update. The traditional analog radio markers have been flipped so that they now run vertically instead of horizontally.
The letters 'FM' have also been replaced with a generic circular icon so that it's more inclusive of other supported bands such as DAB, which is supported in many parts of the world.
HomeLink Buttons
The HomeLink button text has once again been changed. Tesla used to display the name of the garage door or gate inside of the button, with the words 'Activate' or 'Cancel' underneath the button. The problem with this approach was that the text underneath the button is far too small, and it wasn't obvious how to cancel a door from auto-opening.
However, recently Tesla swapped the location of the name and the action text so that 'Activate' would appear inside of the button and the garage door name underneath the button.
The HomeLink buttons have been changed once again. This time for the better.
daniel454/Not a Tesla App forums
This could lead to some confusion for those with multiple garage doors, as you would be presented with multiple buttons that would be labeled 'Activate,' with the only differentiating feature being the small text underneath the button.
With update 2022.28 Tesla has taken a hybrid approach. When pulling up to your garage door, the buttons will once again be labeled with the name you've given your garage doors (top photo).
However, if you have auto-open or auto-close enabled, then you will see the 'Cancel' text inside of the button for the specific door that will be opened or closed. The rest of the buttons will still show their given labels (bottom photo).
Of the several iterations Tesla has gone through, this approach appears to make the most sense. It's now more obvious how to cancel a garage door or gate from auto-opening and you'll still see the name of the garage doors in the predominate text most of the time.
Safety Menu Reorganized
Options in the Safety menu have been reorganized
Not a Tesla App
The vehicle options under Controls > Safety have been slightly rearranged. Sentry Mode, PIN to Drive and Glovebox PIN have moved up. This allows you to quickly enable or disable them without needing to scroll.
Have you noticed any other changes in 2022.28? Let us know.
Elon Musk has promised more Full Self Driving improvements, and a 10.69.3 version of FSD Beta is coming soon.
Many speculated the enhancements would roll out immediately after Tesla's AI Day 2022. An update did appear to some of the 160,000 FSD Beta users, but it's a minor one. However, any advancements in a system already completing 144 trillion operations per second are worth a deeper look.
Tesla has started to roll out FSD Beta 10.69.2.3 (version 2020.20.18), but it has only appeared for a handful of testers so far. It may go out to all 160,000 testers in the near future.
In Beta 10.69 Tesla introduced a new deep lane guidance module that produces a 44 percent lower error rate lane topology. This new module that works with the vector lanes neural network uses video, map data, lane counts and connectivities. According to Tesla's release notes: This provides a way to make every Autopilot drive as good as someone driving their own commute, yet in a sufficiently general way that adapts for road changes.
Despite Chuck Cook's rave reviews of the latest FSD 10.69.2.2, Musk promised even more improvements to address the now infamous Chuck's corner, also known as an unprotected left turn.
In a separate tweet last month, he committed to the vehicle speeding up more quickly in high-speed traffic situations. The program will better navigate the unprotected left turn in high-speed cross-traffic situations. The latest update states that FSD will use "the appropriate speed profile when approaching and exiting median crossover regions." Basically, the car will speed up much quicker when it must get in front of traffic that is moving fast, so we expect Tesla to make further improvements in this area.
This latest update should make the overall FSD experience even smoother. With all the expected improvements in FSD Beta 10.69.3, we can't wait to see what it'll offer. Beta 10.69.3 is still expected this month.
Elon Musk started Tesla's AI Day 2022 by saying, "I want to set some expectations with respect to our Optimus Robot," just before the doors opened behind him. A robot walked out, waved at the audience, and did a little dance. Admittedly a humble beginning, he explained, "the Robot can actually do a lot more than what we just showed you. We just didn't want it to fall on its face." Musk's vision for the Tesla Robot, "Optimus is going to be incredible in five years, ten years mind-blowing." The CEO said other technologies that have changed the world have plateaued; the Robot is just starting.
Tesla's CEO envisions Optimus eventually being like Commander Data, the android from Star Trek the Next Generation, except it "would be programmed to be less robot-like and more friendly." Undoubtedly there is a long way to go to achieve what Doctor Noonien Soong created in Star Trek TNG. What was demonstrated onstage wasn't at that level, but several videos throughout the presentation highlighted what the Robot is capable of at its very early stage in development. The audience watched the Robot pick up boxes, deliver packages, water plants and work at a station at the Tesla factory in Fremont.
Development over 8 Months
The breakdown of some of the systems of the Tesla Robot
Tesla (Edited by Not a Tesla App)
The first Robot to take the stage at AI Day was not Optimus, but Bumble C, another acknowledgement to The Transformers, as Bumble Bee played a significant role in that franchise. However, Bumble C is far less advanced than Optimus, who did appear later but was on a cart.
Several Tesla engineers took turns on the microphone describing some of the most complex elements of the project that was first announced one year ago. Perhaps the best description of the project was the company moving from building a robot on wheels to a robot on legs. However, that may be oversimplifying. For example, the car has two motors, and the Robot has 28 actuators.
Overall Design and Battery Life
Tesla's brightest demonstrated how the production has come to life over the past eight months. It seems this group of computer masterminds had to become anatomist experts as Tesla took hints from the human body to create a humanoid robot. That is an essential factor in creating Optimus. Everything people interact with is made usable by a human, with two legs, two arms, ten fingers etc. If the Robot differed from what the world is already designed for, everything would have to change. However, recreating the human body and its countless movements would take far too long, so Tesla has stripped it down to less than 30 core movements, not including the hand.
Like the human torso contains the heart, the Robot's chest holds the battery. It's projected that a single charge would provide enough for a full day's work with a 2.3-kilowatt-hour battery. All the battery electronics are integrated into a single printed circuit board within the pack. That technology keeps charge management and power distribution all in one place. Tesla used lessons learned from vehicle and energy production to create the battery allowing for streamlined manufacturing and simple and effective cooling methods.
Autopilot Technology
Tesla showed what the Robot sees, and it looked very familiar. That's because the neural networks are pulling directly from Autopilot. Training data had to be collected to show indoor settings and other products not used with the car. Engineers have trained neural networks to identify high-frequency features and key points within the Robot's camera streams, such as a charging station. Tesla has also been using the Autopilot simulator but has integrated it for use with the Robot programming.
Tesla shows off what the Optimus robot sees
Tesla (Edited by Not a Tesla App)
The torso also contains the centralized computer that Tesla says will do everything a human brain does, such as processing vision data, making split-second decisions based on multi-sensory inputs and supporting communications. In addition, the Robot is equipped with wireless connectivity and audio support. Yes, the Robot is going to have conversations, "we really want to have fun, be utilitarian and also be a friend and hang out with you," said Musk.
Motors Mimic Joints
The 28 actuators throughout the Robot's frame are placed where many joints are in the human body. Just one of those actuators was shown lifting a half-tonne nine-foot concert grand piano. There have been thousands of test models run to show how each motor works with the other and how to effectively operate the most relevant actuators for a task. Even the act of walking takes several calculations that the Robot must make in real-time, not only to perform but also appear natural. The robots will be programmed with a locomotion code; the desired path goes to the locomotion planner, which uses trajectories to state estimations, very similar to the human vestibular system.
Human hands can move 300 degrees per second and have tens of thousands of tactile sensors. Hands can manipulate anything in our daily lives, from bulky, heavy items to something delicate. Now Tesla is recreating that with Optimus. Six actuators and 11 degrees of freedom are incorporated into the robot hand. It has an in-hand controller that drives the fingers and receives sensory feedback. The fingers have metallic tendons to allow for flexibility and strength. The hands are being created to allow for a precision grip of small parts and tools.
Responsible Robot Safety
Musk wanted to start AI day with the epic opening scene from Terminator when a robot crushed a skull. He has heard the fears and people warning, "don't go down the terminator path," but the CEO said safety is a top priority. There are safeguards in place, including designs for a localized control ROM that would not be connected to the internet that can turn the Robot off. He sees this as a stop button or remote control.
Musk said the development of Optimus may broaden Tesla's mission statement to include "making the future awesome." He believes the potential is not recognized by most, and it "really boggles the mind." Musk said, "this means a future of abundance. There is no poverty. You can have whatever you want in terms of products and services. It really is a fundamental transformation of civilization as we know it." All of this at a price predicted to be less than $20,000 USD.
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