Tesla Improves Automatic Emergency Braking With Update

Tesla will introduce an enhanced Automatic Emergency Braking in the latest FSD Beta, v11.3

Tesla

Tesla is introducing improvements to its Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system that goes beyond the standard AEB functionality. This new system includes the ability to detect and respond to vehicles that are not only in front of the car but ones that cross the car's path.

AEB is an important safety feature that can help reduce the risk of accidents and save road life. The system uses sensors and cameras to monitor the road ahead and identify potential obstacles, including other vehicles, pedestrians, and objects. When the system detects that a collision is about to occur, it will warn the driver with visual and/or audible alerts. If the driver does not respond, it will apply the brakes automatically to slow down or stop the vehicle.

How Tesla is Advancing AEB

Tesla's improvements to Automatic Emergency Braking system go beyond the standard AEB functionality, adding the ability to detect and react to vehicles that cross the car's path or "steals the right of way," such as a vehicle that runs a red light or cuts off the Tesla. According to Tesla, nearly half of the collisions of this nature would be avoided with this newly expanded system. From Tesla's release notes in the upcoming FSD Beta v11.3, Tesla states:

Expanded Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) to handle vehicles that cross ego's path. This includes cases where other vehicles run their red light or turn across ego's path, stealing the right-of-way. Replay of previous collisions of this type suggests that 49% of the events would be mitigated by the new behavior. This improvement is now active in both manual driving and autopilot operation.

While the latest update has not gone out to the public, we have seen countless examples of Teslas already reacting to vehicles that turn in front of or swerve in front of them.

History of AEB

Automatic Emergency Braking is a safety technology that has been around since the mid-2000s and has become an increasingly common feature in newer vehicles. AEB is also known by other names, such as Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) on Honda vehicles and Active Brake Assist on Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Bosch and Volvo were among the early pioneers in the field.

Bosch introduced its Predictive Safety System in 2006, and Volvo launched its City Safety system in 2008. Since then, many other car manufacturers and technology companies have developed their AEB systems, incorporating a range of sensors, algorithms, and machine learning techniques to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of the technology.

Learnings From FSD Beta

The AEB advancement is listed in the most recent FSD Beta release notes, v11.3. However, the upgraded system will respond in FSD or with all Autopilot features off. This is a significant safety advancement that Tesla will be providing, free of charge, during the next major over-the-air update for FSD Beta users.

Tesla is clearly taking everything it's learning from FSD Beta and its improved vision system and applying it to other areas, much like how it introduced Auto Cancel turn signals. With Auto Cancel Turn Signals, Tesla learned when to turn off your turn signal with its FSD Beta progress, and now you have the option to let the vehicle to turn off your turn signal for you after switching lanes

Improved AEB for All?

FSD Beta currently remains on a separate track from Tesla's other updates, which means not everyone will get the improvements to AEB, at least initially. Given Tesla's history with safety features, we expect that Tesla will eventually add this feature to non-FSD Beta builds or merge FSD and non-FSD builds so that all owners have access to the improved Automatic Emergency Braking.

It's already been shown that Teslas on Autopilot are ten times safer than human drivers and 2.5 times safer with Autopilot disengaged. It's due to features like this that continue to make the safest car on the planet even safer.

Tesla Is Now Offering Cybertruck Test Drives [List of Locations]

@brandonhd

Tesla has begun to reach out to customers in the United States and is offering demo drives of the Cybertruck on an invite-only basis. @brandonhd on X shared the first invite image, and it looks like it's going out quite quickly to multiple locations that have Cybertrucks on display.

Up until now, display vehicles have been for just that – looking, but no touching. Some Tesla delivery centers and showrooms have also allowed viewers to take a seat inside and open it up, but most are still locked away behind the velvet rope.

It’s exciting to see that Tesla has begun to demo them – and it can only be so long until demo drives open up to everyone.

Advisor-led Demo

This Demo Drive is led by a Tesla Advisor – while you’re driving, the advisor will be in the passenger seat, walking you through the experience. They’ll explain steer-by-wire, off-road controls, and will introduce new-to-Tesla buyers to all the features that are currently available.

Once FSD V12.5 comes to the Cybertruck, we’re sure they’ll be demoing its capabilities FSD capabilities as well.

Locations

The list of locations so far for demo drives appears to be fairly limited, but we will hopefully see demo drives roll out throughout the United States, and eventually Canada too. Here is the current list of city/state locations that have seen demo drive invites.

• Manhasset, New York

• West Covina, California

• Los Angeles, California

• Houston, Texas

• Orlando, Florida

• Westmont, Illinois

• Tucson, Arizona

• Phoenix, Arizona

• Delaware

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Musk Confirms 'Actually Smart Summon' is Coming in a Revision of FSD V12.5

Not a Tesla App

Actually Smart Summon, the successor to Tesla’s Smart Summon feature, has been confirmed to be coming as soon as next month as per Elon Musk. Colloquially known as “ASS”, Actually Smart Summon is supposed to improve on the regular Smart Summon capabilities, which have historically used ultrasonic sensors (USS) to navigate parking lots.

We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon, and we’re quite excited about what other features will be unlocked once it finally shows up at our doorstep.

Vision-based Improvements

ASS is supposed to bring Smart Summon to vehicles that don’t have USS – using Tesla Vision. Most recently, Tesla has brought Autopark to vehicles without USS, and Vision-based Autopark has been a huge success. It is faster, more reliable, and smoother than the older USS-based solution. It can also park and maneuver in tighter locations.

Just recently, Tesla returned the Model X’s self-presenting doors, using Tesla Vision. Vision has seen some fantastic improvements, and many people are waiting for ASS to bring forth these improvements to Smart Summon.

Smart Summon Today

Today, Smart Summon is sometimes useful at best, usually a party trick, or downright dangerous at worst. It’s excellent and best used in straight lines, where you have a clear line of sight of the vehicle, and can stop it if doesn’t see an obstacle.

I used Smart Summon today, just before writing this article – my 2022 Model Y (with USS) – did manage to show up just fine – in a straight-line location from where I was parked, after exiting the parking spot fairly cleanly. However, I’ve previously used Smart Summon and have had the vehicle turn towards obstacles, such as cart returns or curbs. Overall, it’s a sometimes-useful feature that has a lot of drawbacks right now.

Smart Summon is also restricted to a certain distance – and it's pretty small. The max distance is shorter than most parking lots, being only about 215 ft (65m). If you’re lucky enough to park close, it's very useful to bring your car right to you.

Actually Smart Summon

ASS will bring FSD V12-like capabilities to Smart Summon – the vehicle will primarily use Vision to drive toward you (or the location you’ve indicated). ASS has been supposed to be coming since about September 2022 and has seen many delays – we’re almost at the 2-year point today.

We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon being able to bring the vehicle – safely – right to you. ASS is also one of the key steps towards bringing some other cool features that Elon Musk has previously mentioned – Park Seek and Banish Autopark.

We’re also hopeful that Actually Smart Summon will increase the maximum range a vehicle can be summoned, because the current range is fairly small. Alongside Park Seek and Banish Autopark, we’re closing in on a Robotaxi-based future.

Park Seek and Banish Autopark

When the FSD v12.4 showed up, Elon also mentioned that going forward, vehicles would automatically park themselves when arriving in a parking lot – Park Seek – and that if you got out of the car at the entrance to a business, you could get it to automatically park itself in the parking lot – Banish Autopark. These are two features that are needed for Robotaxi to work – which itself is delayed to October 10^th of this year. We’re looking quite forward to them – as in combination with Actually Smart Summon, Tesla has reached the cusp of vehicle autonomy.

A vehicle that arrives, driverless, at the location you’re at, then drives somewhere, parks itself there, and waits for you – is the definition of a Robotaxi.

While we’re likely to have to wait for Banish Autopark and Park Seek just a bit longer, Actually Smart Summon being around the corner is exciting! Gone will be the days of having to run out to your car when you forgot your umbrella – your car will just come right to you instead.

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