Testing Autopilot

Discussion in 'Model 3' started by bwilson4web, Apr 14, 2019.

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  1. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web Well-Known Member Subscriber

    We have seen reports that traffic light detection is embedded but locked in the current AutoPilot. Then we read this:
    https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/2-pedestrians-struck-by-Tesla-in-the-Tenderloin-14112314.php

    22 year old lady driver
    +45 mph excessive speed
    ran red light
    broadsided by a Mini Cooper
    struck two pedestrians and killed one

    I suspect the traffic light detection will be soon enabled.

    More technical details: https://abc7news.com/vallejo-woman-idd-as-tesla-driver-in-sf-crash-that-killed-tourist/5411417/

    Bob Wilson
     
    Last edited: Jul 22, 2019
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  3. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web Well-Known Member Subscriber

  4. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web Well-Known Member Subscriber

    Source: https://www.tesla.com/VehicleSafetyReport

    In the 2nd quarter, we registered one accident for every 3.27 million miles driven in which drivers had Autopilot engaged. For those driving without Autopilot but with our active safety features, we registered one accident for every 2.19 million miles driven. For those driving without Autopilot and without our active safety features, we registered one accident for every 1.41 million miles driven. By comparison, NHTSA’s most recent data shows that in the United States there is an automobile crash every 498,000 miles.

    Comparing large numbers is a challenge that relative percentages can clarify. As a general rule, larger numbers are considered better so we'll use the NHTSA number as the base:
    • 100% - USA car crashes
    • 283% - safer Tesla with just defaults, unassisted driver
    • 440% - safer Tesla with free, safety features assisting driver
    • 657% - safer Tesla with for fee, AutoPilot assisting driver
    Another way to represent the same with smaller, easier to understand numbers:
    • USA car crashes
    • 2.3 times safer - Tesla with just defaults, unassisted driver
    • 4.4 times safer - Tesla with the free, safety features assisting driver
    • 6.6 times safer - Tesla with for a fee, safety features assisting driver
    Bob Wilson
     
  5. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web Well-Known Member Subscriber

    Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/26/safety-groups-want-ftc-state-probes-of-teslas-autopilot-system.html

    Two consumer safety groups are calling for federal and state investigations of Tesla’s semi-autonomous technology in the wake of several fatal crashes linked to the system earlier this year.

    The groups contend the automaker violated Section 5 of the FTC Act, as well as California consumer law.
    . . .

    Called the "Center for Auto Safety" run by Jason Levine, a right-wing Federalist Society lawyer, is nonsense. He has spent the past decade bedeviling Toyota at every opportunity. His business model is court cases.

    One good thing is we may finally get the NHTSA and IIHS to finally do a proper statistical analysis of Tesla accidents. There are enough Teslas doing enough miles to do a credible, independent, statistical analysis.

    Bob Wilson
     
  6. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web Well-Known Member Subscriber

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  8. brulaz

    brulaz Active Member

    I've heard reports from several people about premature and excessive auto-braking incidents with this new (to me) technology.
    The reports are not restricted to BEVs. And I don't recall any Tesla reports. But maybe I missed them?
    Curious how Tesla's autopilot behaves in this respect?
     
  9. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web Well-Known Member Subscriber

    We call it "phantom braking" and it can easily be reproduced as I did:

    Speed dropped from 16 mph to 9 mph and resumed within 3 seconds.

    I had the same problem with our "Magic Eye", 2014 BMW i3-REx. For me, no big deal as I can easily apply the accelerator and it becomes a non-event. But if you are someone with a more sensitive "startle" response, it can be unnerving.

    A week ago, Tesla upgraded the software to 2019.24.4 from 2019.20.4. In the past +100 miles, these "phantom braking" events have become much less frequent. But this could just be conditional on environment as anything else.

    Tesla Autopilot expects the driver to be alert and ready to take over the car. It is expected to have a "man in the loop" to handle edge cases. So after documenting the Autopilot shortcomings, I can replicate the conditions and have noticed an improvement, not perfect, but fewer issues. Passengers may not be as calm about these incidents.

    Bob Wilson
     
    brulaz likes this.
  10. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web Well-Known Member Subscriber

    Detailed report on running into firetruck partially obscuring HOV lane:

    Source: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/HAB1907.pdf

    The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the Culver City, California, rear-end crash was the Tesla driver’s lack of response to the stationary fire truck in his travel lane, due to inattention and overreliance on the vehicle’s advanced driver assistance system; the Tesla’s Autopilot design, which permitted the driver to disengage from the driving task; and the driver’s use of the system in ways inconsistent with guidance and warnings from the manufacturer.
    Source_2: https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/NR20190904.aspx

    WASHINGTON (Sept. 4, 2019) — A driver’s inattention, overreliance on his car’s advanced driver assistance system, and use of the system inconsistent with manufacturer guidance, coupled with the system permitting driver disengagement from the driving task, led to the Jan. 22, 2018, crash in Culver City, California, according to a National Transportation Safety Board brief issued Wednesday.

    Absent are accidents that were avoided by AutoPilot. Only a crash can be analyzed.

    Source_2: https://regmedia.co.uk/2019/09/04/tesla_truck_crash_culver_city.pdf

    Driver interview transcript.

    Bob Wilson
     
    Last edited: Sep 4, 2019
  11. dtipan

    dtipan New Member

    i love these videos!
     
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  13. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web Well-Known Member Subscriber

    We've upgraded to firmware V10: 2019.32.11.1 this morning. Now to restart regression testing:
    [​IMG]

    Bob Wilson
     
  14. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web Well-Known Member Subscriber

    Here is the curved, dashed lane lines entering an intersection from the left triggers a strong, right-turn response:



    In this next clip, there are two cars in front. The lead car (unseen) brakes to take a sharp left turn. My lead car brakes and begins to drift to right lane. But AutoPilot brakes hard (surprise but reasonable) but fails to accelerate to resume original following distance to lead vehicle.



    You can get a rough idea of distance by watching the width of the leading vehicle change.


    Bob Wilson
     
  15. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web Well-Known Member Subscriber

    Due to my hubris, I had an Autopilot accident when 'auto-steer' failed to come on after a double-tap. TACC worked but I didn't notice the blue lines were gone so I let the car drive over a curb. No visible body damage and the air bags did not deploy but the passenger side, wheel rims and tires, will have to be replaced. The tires are still holding air but the car remains parked until repaired.

    Tesla advised:

    Thank you for contacting Tesla in regards to your tires.

    So we recommend you find a local tire shop to repair this. There is a foam insert on the inside of the tires that they need to cut out in order to patch your tires.

    Please do this at your convenience.

    Best regards

    I don't think they understood my original note. Regardless, I have a plan:
    1. Photos to get estimates at Costco and Firestone - discuss lead times and their ability and willingness to do Model 3 alignment.
    2. Estimate from Tire Rack for wheels and tires. Replace tires as I have the jack adapters.
    The Tesla dash cam stopped recording "Recent" videos about an hour or so before hitting the curb. So losing 'auto-steer' restart in Autopilot may be related. However, I turned on "Fred" a couple of days earlier to mute some of the alarms and that may also have contributed.

    I have a legacy dash cam set up in the cabin to record video; audio; GPS metrics, and; 3-axis acceleration. Here is the narrative under the public YouTube:

    Video recorded at 2 frames/second so playback is hurried. Adjust playback speed to slow; "SPACE" halts; "," backup one frame, and "." forwards one frame. Use embedded time stamps:

    23:52:29 (hh:mm:ss) - distant car hits brake lights at green traffic light
    23:52:33 - hit brakes to slow approach which turns off Autopilot
    23:52:42 - lead car turns so reach up to 'double-tap' back into Autopilot
    23:52:49 - I failed to notice a Auto-steer down, traffic aware cruise control is OK
    23:52:51 - "Fred" on, I failed to notice close approach to curb
    23:53:00 - Car steered to curb where bad things happened
    23:53:01 - Significant impact, no air bags but rim and likely tire damage


    The rest are my lame attempts to figure out what broke and drive home.​

    Given moderator sensitivity about some subjects, I recommend Google my YouTube channel to see the video.

    Bob Wilson
     
  16. Now let me get this straight. Did you pay for Autopilot or is Tesla paying you to test it??
     
  17. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web Well-Known Member Subscriber

    I'm just curious about how it works, just the facts and data.

    Bob Wilson
     

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