According to the latest reports, Tesla is one of the world’s leading electric vehicle manufacturers. However, the company not only faces an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) but also blows from its competitors.
In August of this year, NHTSA threw a well-known blockbuster, and its Office of Defect Investigation (ODI) began to evaluate Tesla’s autopilot system after a series of disturbing accidents. NHTSA initially identified 11 different incidents related to collisions involving Tesla vehicles. Later, a twelfth incident was added to this ominous list.
The investigation may continue for several months, and depending on the severity of the investigation results, Tesla may be forced to fundamentally change its autopilot system or deactivate it altogether. Tesla’s semi-autonomous driving system, called Autopilot, has recently undergone major adjustments. The company abandoned its radar sensors in favor of eight cameras.
This brings us to the crux of the problem. Luminar is one of the leading manufacturers of LiDAR equipment, and now the company has released a video on YouTube showing its integrated hardware and software solutions, which are called proactive safety features.
According to Tesla’s own admission in its Artificial Intelligence Day event, the autonomous driving system is currently hindered by two factors: the temporary obstruction of the camera’s field of view and the false memory of road signs. Nevertheless, Tesla engineers are trying to solve these problems by using spatially repeated network video modules to train artificial intelligence to keep track of space and time queues.
At the same time, as can be seen from the video above, Luminar is trying to take advantage of the shaken confidence in the autonomous driving system by demonstrating the enhanced safety provided by its active safety function. Tesla’s Full Autonomous Driving (FSD) function is a function of the autopilot system.
The company sells it as a separate additional function for a one-time payment of US$10,000 or a monthly subscription of US$199. At this stage, it is a Wrong statement. According to Tesla’s own recognition of the California Department of Motor Vehicles, the autopilot is an SAE Level 2 advanced driver assistance system, and the true FSD function is equivalent to Level 5 autonomous driving.
