Tesla's taking its camera-based "Tesla Vision" system to school. After a Tesla owner posted a tweet showing how the system now recognizes when a vehicle is at a stop with brake lights illuminated, CEO Elon Musk responded saying the technology will soon understand a whole lot more. Specifically, the cars will recognize hand gestures, emergency vehicle lights, vehicles with hazards on and turn signals.
It will soon capture turn signals, hazards, ambulance/police lights & even hand gestures
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 12, 2021
Tesla Vision does not use any sort of radar like most similar systems from other automakers, and simply relies on camera feeds and what the company calls "neural net processing" to provide the cars' intelligence.Â
At first, the move to scrap radar alarmed a number of safety bodies and independent organizations, which moved to strip the Model 3 and Model Y of their prestigious safety awards. However, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety testing showed the system still performed well and led to the restoration of said accolades. What mostly concerned experts was Tesla's note saying some safety features may be limited for drivers taking delivery of vehicles. In a short time, the cars would have full functions restored as the transition from radar to camera took place.
Essentially, Tesla Vision is the basis for the company's elusive fully autonomous car. Musk promised the tech would soon be ready in the past, but despite many improvements, Tesla (and no other company or automaker) sells a self-driving car today. Tesla does not operate a public-relations department to field requests for comment.
