Experts Alarmed by Videos of Tesla Full Self-Driving Totally Screwing Up – Futurism

So much for Tesla having the most advanced self-driving technology in the world.

A panel of experts assembled by The Washington Post have reviewed and verified footage of Teslas equipped with the companys beta Full Self-Diving (FSD) malfunctioning in terrifying ways. Unsurprisingly, they found that the driver assistance tech is likely doing more harm than good.

In early February 2022, Tesla was forced to issue software updates to almost 54,000 of its cars that feature the companys signature FSD program due to the cars propensity to not completely stop at stop signs. An increasing number of videos posted by Tesla drivers of their self-driving cars going haywire,though, seem to show that the issues with FSD go far beyond rolling stops.

After reviewing six such videos, WaPos panel of experts suggested that FSD may be too dangerous to use on public roads. In one of the more alarming analyses, the six experts whose backgrounds include self-driving research, autonomous vehicle safety analysis and self-driving development pointed out that one video of a Tesla not slowing down enough when a pedestrian crosses light rail tracks shows the Tesla FSDs difficulty recognizing pedestrian walk signs and doesnt seem able to understand that pedestrians may walk off sidewalks and into the roadway.

Another of the more upsetting videos reviewed by theWaPos panel details how the FSD prompted its driver to take over control of the vehicle when becoming confused by a truck partially blocking the street, but when the driver does so, they struggle to actually get control back from the driver assistance program and has to sharply turn the wheel repeatedly to do so.

I am taking over, the driver says in the vehicle while jerking the wheel. Im Im trying.

Its unclear who exactly is in control at that moment, Andrew Maynard, an Arizona State University professor who works in the schools Risk Innovation Lab, told WaPo. Theres an odd glitch here where there seems to be a short fight for control between the driver and the car. It appears there are scenarios where both driver and car potentially lose control at some points.

The glitch revealed in that video, Maynard added, is important because it demonstrates potential difficulties in the ability of the human driver to ensure safety in case of such malfunction.

Along with the experts analysis about the dangers posed by Teslas nascent FSD, WaPo also spoke to the drivers behind the videos to confirm their veracity and one, identified only as Chris from Fenton, Michigan, said that after using his Teslas driver assistance program for about a year, he thinks itll be another decade before the program is truly be ready to be taken on the road.

Expert criticism of Tesla is almost a cottage industry at this point, but for a Tesla owner himself to admit that the manufacturers self-driving mode isnt ready for public consumption is striking.

READ MORE: Full Self-Driving clips show owners of Teslas fighting for control, and experts see deep flaws [The Washington Post]

More on FSDreams: Watch Elon Musk Promise Self-Driving Cars Next Year Every Year Since 2014

Care about supporting clean energy adoption? Find out how much money (and planet!) you could save by switching to solar power at UnderstandSolar.com. By signing up through this link, Futurism.com may receive a small commission.

Here is the original post:
Experts Alarmed by Videos of Tesla Full Self-Driving Totally Screwing Up - Futurism