Even though Tesla’s autopilot function is considered an impressive piece of technology, some argue that it isn’t as advanced as the American car manufacturer claims.
The semi-autonomous feature gives drivers the ability to concentrate on something else while driving, as it comes with Autosteer, Auto Lane Change, and Autopark – all guided by a plethora of cameras, sensors and radars.
This might sound complicated and overwhelming to somebody not familiar with the matter, but in an interview with The Verge, Trent Victor, senior technical leader of crash avoidance at Volvo, said the system isn’t that impressive:
“It gives you the impression that it’s doing more than it is. [Tesla’s Autopilot] is more of an unsupervised wannabe.”
Basically, Victor is saying that Tesla is trying to create a semi-autonomous vehicle that appears to be autonomous – because its system requires the person behind the wheel to stay alert at all times, making it dangerous in case of emergencies when the driver is occupied with everything but actual driving.
To be fair, although some experts consider Tesla’s tech as Level 3 autonomous – meaning the driver can fully cede control of all safety-critical functions in certain conditions, the American car manufacturer classified the Autopilot as Level 2 autonomous and in beta phase – which means at least two controls can be automated in unison; and that’s it.
But you know who will launch a Level 4, fully-autonomous car next year? Volvo, according to Trent Victor:
“In our concept, if you don’t take over, if you have fallen asleep or are watching a film, then we will take responsibility still. We won’t just turn [autonomous mode] off. We take responsibility and we’ll be stopping the vehicle if you don’t take over.”
Note: Opening photo from DragTimes video
PHOTO GALLERY
