Musk Provides Timeline for Improved Auto Wipers and 'Actually Smart Summon' Tesla Features

June 23, 2023

By Kevin Armstrong

We may soon see an improved version of Smart Summon

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Tesla's Elon Musk tweeted, "Actually smart auto wiper software releases in about 3 weeks. Our patented, 'Actually Smart Summon (ASS)' is probably a month or two after that." These highly anticipated features are set to redefine the Tesla experience. Let's break it down.

A Fresh Take: The Auto Wiper v4 System

One of the significant improvements coming to Tesla cars is the Auto Wiper v4 system. This upgrade seeks to fix past issues and elevate the overall user experience.

Musk acknowledged the existing wiper issues, stating, "this one of the last neural nets Tesla is updating from a single camera, single frame NN to surround video." A major part of this overhaul involves stitching together video from all Tesla's cameras into a single 360-degree video, offering a more comprehensive understanding of weather conditions for a more accurate wiper response.

Moving Beyond "Deep Rain"

Interestingly, the company is veering away from its initially proposed "Deep Rain" solution for wiper sensitivity. With the release of the new Auto Wiper v4 system, Tesla seems to be moving towards a more holistic approach to rain detection. This shift demonstrates the company's commitment to constant evolution and improvement, guided by real-world performance and feedback.

The Arrival of the Actually Smart Summon (ASS)

Tesla's Smart Summon feature is due for an upgrade soon, with the upcoming introduction of Actually Smart Summon (ASS). ASS is poised to dramatically change how Tesla owners interact with their vehicles, enhancing both convenience and safety. By using GPS coordinates, your Tesla could drive itself to your location, eventually making late-night walks to distant parking lots a thing of the past.

There's speculation that the improved Smart Summon might also include the Park Seek feature. Formerly known as Reverse Summon, Park Seek allows a Tesla to drop off its occupants and park itself.

Tesla enthusiast @greentheonly recently reported that Tesla already has the new wiper system available under the hood in recent FSD builds, so we may soon see it become available to everyone in an upcoming beta build.

Tesla Increases Price of Model S; Starts Offering Free Lifetime Supercharging

December 14, 2024

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

For the first time in quite a while, Tesla has increased the price of one of its vehicle offerings. The Model S Long Range and the Model S Plaid have both received a hefty price increase. However, not all is bad - as Tesla also added a new benefit for buyers.

Price Increase

The price increase for the Model S is $5,000 - currently only in the United States. This price increase will likely impact other markets, including Canada, in the coming days.

The Model S Long Range now starts at $79,990, while the Model S Plaid now starts at $94,990. The Model S and Model X now have the same starting price. Interestingly, that’s also the same pricing point for the Cybertruck AWD and Cyberbeast Trimotor non-Foundation Series.

The vehicle configuration does not appear to have changed, so the new pricing is simply an increase rather than the addition or removal of features. Tesla previously cut the price of the Model S and Model X by 15% in 2023, so this could simply be an adjustment to ensure that the vehicle pricing stays in line with inflation and other factors.

Free Lifetime Supercharging

For those on the fence about ordering a Model S, Tesla has brought back Free Lifetime Supercharging when you order a new Model S on or after December 13, 2024. As always, Free Lifetime Supercharging is restricted to the buyer’s Tesla account and to that specific vehicle. It cannot be transferred to another vehicle or another owner after ownership transfer. It’s worth noting, that it also doesn’t exclude the owner from receiving Supercharger idle fees or congestion fees. There is currently no end date for this promotion.

There are currently no changes to the Model X, neither a price increase nor the addition of Lifetime Superchargering. However, when Tesla makes changes to one of their premium vehicles, it usually affects the other one as well. So be on the lookout for potential changes to the Model X offering in the coming days.

We’ve seen Tesla value Lifetime Supercharging at $5,000, so this falls in line with the price increase we’re seeing. It’s possible that Tesla will begin to bring back Lifetime Supercharging as a perk for buying into their more premium Model S and Model X cars, or this could be another temporary promotion to get buyers who are on the fence to go ahead and make their purchase while this promotion lasts.

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

December 13, 2024

By Karan Singh

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.