Automobile manufacturers have been on the move towards producing self-driving vehicles. Tesla Motors has led the way with the recent release of an upgrade for its autopilot software for the Model S sedan lines. These include both the new models, as well as the already purchased ones. With the introduction of the software, Tesla’s Model S cars are the first electric commercial vehicles to have the capacity for autonomous driving. According to Elon Musk, the automobile company’s CEO, turning on the autopilot mode is an intense experience for drivers.
Still Hang on to Your Wheel
It is possible to download the new software into a car overnight, and the current computers and sensors in Model S can support the software. When the need calls for it, autopilot can take over on both parallel parking and on highways. Musk however, advises drivers to take caution when using the autopilot mode. He emphasizes the need for drivers to still hold on to the wheel when using the autopilot mode. This is just in case something goes wrong or the software crashes.
Amazing Features Keep You in Your Lane
When the autopilot mode is activated, a traffic-conscious cruise monitor is essentially turned on and this is responsible for keeping the car in the right lane. The software of this electric vehicle has data that plays the role of observing a perimeter of 16 feet around the vehicle, a camera for detecting the lane, GPS with a high resolution, traffic sign-reading, as well as forward radar. The forward radar has the capability of seeing through rain, fog, dust and snow. When the vehicle’s turn signal is turned on, the autopilot software changes the lanes automatically for drivers. In parallel parking, the vehicle’s sensors do a street sweep to detect or search for open spots. When the spot is found, steering and speed is controlled by Autopark System, which wiggles the car into the identified spot.
Musk made it clear that the version for the autopilot software package is beta. The software may run into trouble or issues when there are missing or unclear markings on the highway lane. This has usually been the case with several freeways in Los Angeles. When such an issue is encountered, the car’s control is taken over by the high-resolution GPS. Musk therefore emphasizes the need to have clear road marker or dense traffic for the autopilot mode to work well. The autopilot software works very well in dense and slow moving traffic. A warning for side collision is also among the improvements made to Model S’s software package.