To ensure safer roads and potentially bolster its Full Self-Driving (FSD) capabilities, Tesla is planning a significant upgrade to its driver monitoring system. Notable Tesla hacker, @Greentheonly, has revealed on Twitter that this upgrade goes beyond simple driving metrics and delves into an impressive array of advanced features.
Tesla's In-Depth Driver Monitoring
Tesla's forthcoming update to its driver monitoring system showcases the power of machine learning and sensor technology. Instead of just monitoring traditional driving metrics, like looking down or off to the side, the system will gather a wide range of data about the driver's behavior, even when the car is not on Autopilot.
Advanced Metrics: Beyond Just Keeping the Car Centered
Tesla's enhanced monitoring system will assess a driver's ability based on multiple factors, including how well the car is centered and the number of lane keep assist warnings and corrections.
The advanced system will detect signs of driver fatigue or distraction by monitoring physical cues. For instance, frequent yawning, extended blink durations and leaning can indicate tiredness, making a driver unfit for the road. By alerting drivers when such signs are detected, the system can potentially help prevent accidents caused by impaired driving.
The Potential Impact on Full Self-Driving
The sophisticated data collection and analysis could also strengthen Tesla's case for its Full Self-Driving capabilities. By demonstrating how many drivers show signs of tiredness or impairment, particularly during late-night drives, Tesla can highlight the need for advanced autonomous driving technology.
Beyond the immediate implications for driver safety and insurance, there's also the potential for this data to shape the broader narrative around Tesla's Full Self-Driving capabilities. As noted by Twitter user @RedneckAi, Tesla could use the data to argue that a significant percentage of drivers are tired or impaired after midnight, bolstering the case for FSD.
The Balance between Safety and Privacy
While the enhanced driver monitoring system is undeniably a technological marvel and a potential lifesaver, it also raises questions about privacy. As the system collects more personal data about drivers' behavior, strict data protection measures become increasingly crucial.
The conversation surrounding Tesla's driver monitoring system brings into focus the fine line between leveraging technology for safety and maintaining individual privacy. As such technologies continue to evolve, striking a balance between these two aspects will be paramount.
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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.
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.
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.
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 10th 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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