Using its driver-facing cabin camera, Tesla has decided to grow driver monitoring to other vehicles. Many industry experts have been asking for this for a long time.
Tesla's approach to driver-assist features has been criticized for a number of reasons, one of which is the lack of strong driver monitoring capability.
While using Autopilot, it has been limited to attempting to keep the driver's hands on the wheel, but Tesla's wheel sensors can only detect torque being applied to it.
As a result, Tesla has been unable to identify if the driver's hands are on the steering wheel unless they are actively applying torque.
On top of that, the most important thing to keep an eye on is the driver's attention, which Tesla claims must be on the road at all times, even when Autopilot is turned on.
The crazy thing is that Tesla has had a cabin-facing camera in its vehicles for years, but it hasn't been used much.
Tesla officially revealed its driver monitoring system using its cabin camera earlier this year.
The Tesla Vision system, which enables Autopilot without the need of radar, was first introduced with newer models.
Tesla started rolling out an update today that extends the use of its driver-monitoring system to more vehicles and adds a sound when drivers aren't paying attention.
In the release notes, Tesla stated:
When Autopilot is active, the cabin camera above your rear view mirror can now detect driver inattention and issue auditory notifications to remind you to maintain your eyes on the road. Because camera images do not exit the car, the system is unable to save or send data until data sharing is enabled.
Tesla understands that many consumers are concerned about the cabin-facing camera's use, but the company is sure that you only share information you wish to share.
Tesla recommends drivers to go to Controls > Safety and Security > Data Sharing to change their data settings.
0 Comments