Tesla cars will be able to block attempts to circumvent requirements to keep hands on steering wheel
Tesla requires owners of Full Self-Driving electric cars to keep their hands on the steering wheel while the driver assistance technology is working. Naturally, many get around this requirement, but the manufacturer is fighting it.
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Particularly inventive owners have put oranges or water bottles on the steering wheel. Some companies even sold special weights. For example, the Autopilot Buddy, like the one pictured below. Such an accessory costs $200, but it has been banned by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTHSA).
The Full Self-Driving software, numbered v10.69.3.1, has discovered a new feature that makes the Tesla car realize that the driver is not keeping his hands on the steering wheel, but is using some kind of trick like the previously mentioned Autopilot Buddy. In this case, the system will be able to automatically turn off Full Self-Driving until the end of the trip.
The latest version of Full Self-Driving Beta (V10.69.3.1) can detect some forms of autopilot defeat devices and will be slowly adapted over time as new methods are discovered by Tesla.
- Teslascope (@teslascope) November 25, 2022
If detected, it will result in a forced autopilot disengagement; resulting in strikes.
How exactly this technology will work is not yet known. But we know that the Full Self-Driving driver assistance system, which is now at the beta-testing stage, is already available for purchase for $15,000 in North America.
Source: Electrek
