Future Tesla Models Will Be Fully Autonomous
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Tesla made headlines on October 19 by announcing that all of their models going forward would be equipped with fully autonomous capabilities. This includes the mass-market Model 3 scheduled to debut late next year.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that his company's vehicles will be equipped with Level 5 autonomy - the highest level, which requires zero input from the driver. The technology would be able it to operate in any environment and navigate in all traffic conditions. Musk believes that this autonomous technology will make Tesla's at least twice as safe as if a person were operating it. But while the car's will have the ability to be fully autonomous, there are no federal regulations as of yet to govern such technology.
Musk said that he believes approval will come from federal regulators soon, possibly by the end of 2016.
Tesla vehicles currently come with the brand's controversial Autopilot system. While it sounds like the car should be able to drive itself, Autopilot is essentially a glorified cruise control system. It can maintain speed, keep the car in it's lane, and stop if it senses a vehicle in front, but it can't do things like turn or merge on it's own.
Musk says this new technology could enable one of his cars to pick someone up from their home in Los Angeles, then drop them off in Times Square —then park itself. "It will do this without the need for a single touch, including the charger," says Musk.
New cars rolling out of Tesla's factory in Fremont, California will be equipped with eight different cameras for 360-degrees vision. Current models only come with one. They will also feature updated ultrasonic sensors around the vehicle's perimeter and a new computer that boosts processing power by a factor of 40. They will also include updated GPS systems, internal measurement units, and other parts necessary for the car to navigate by itself.
A forward-facing radar with enhanced processing will provide additional data on a redundant wavelength that is able to see through heavy rain, fog, dust and even the car ahead.
