What We’re Reading
This week is all about ADAS features new and old.
Tesla vehicles are now scanning for potholes and rough roads to help avoid them (Electrek, July 4, 2022)
Nearly every driver has experienced the dread that follows a run-in with a pothole. But this common occurrence may become less frequent—at least for Tesla owners—with the roll out of “Tesla Adaptive Suspension” in Tesla’s 2022.20 software update. The new feature will scan the road ahead and adjust for rough terrain such as potholes, although it is not yet ready to avoid such hazards altogether. According to Tesla’s announcement, the feature will “adjust ride height for an upcoming rough road section. This adjustment may occur at various locations, subject to availability, as the vehicle downloads rough road map data generated by Tesla vehicles.”
As noted by the author here, one impediment to full self-driving is a vehicle’s inability to adjust for road conditions. With Adaptive Suspension, however, “Tesla is leveraging its large customer fleet equipped with Autopilot hardware to capture data on those corner cases and teach its neural network to handle them.”
The feature will be available on new Models S and X.
Tesla 2022.20 update includes Green Traffic Light chime for Autopilot (Teslarati, July 3, 2022)
The 2022.20 update also makes one of partner Mike Nelson’s favorite Tesla features—the Green Traffic Light Chime—more widely available.
With this feature, a chime “will play when the traffic light you are waiting for turns green. If you are waiting behind another vehicle, the chime will play once the vehicle advances unless Traffic-Aware Control or Autosteer is active.”
Prior to the 2022.20 software update, this feature was only available on Teslas equipped with FSD. Now, Tesla drivers with Autopilot and the new Enhanced Autopilot will have access to the feature. “The introduction of Green Traffic Light Chime hints that Tesla may start mixing up the features offered in its autonomous driving software packages.”
5 Automated Vehicle Safety Technologies That Save Lives (MUO, July 3, 2022)
“The next big thing in vehicle safety today is autonomous safety vehicle technology. While there is no law that demands all cars to feature this tech, most new models include it in an effort to save lives, prevent countless injuries, and bring down crash numbers.”
With NHTSA reporting that human error accounts for 94% of crashes, the potential benefits of autonomous technologies are hard to dispute. Although Tesla remains out in front, many other manufacturers now offer advanced technology features as standard, aimed at driver safety and reduced road accidents.
This article provides basic descriptions along with safety statistics for the five most common ADAS safety features: Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB); Forward Collision Warning (FCW); Blind Spot Warning (BSW); Rear Cross-Traffic Assist (RCTA); Lane Departure Warning (LDW); and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).
(For more common ADAS feature acronyms, see our cheat sheet here.)
What is Traffic-Sign Recognition? (J.D. Power, June 29, 2022)
This article explores a less-established ADAS technology with significant potential to enhance safety: Traffic-Sign Recognition (“TSR”). “Traffic-sign recognition essentially serves as a second set of eyes for the driver by raising awareness of specific roadway markers to help make better and safer driving decisions.” By using cameras, this technology can recognize and alert drivers to stop signs, speed limit signs, and various other traffic signs depending on the make and model. TSR currently is offered as either a standard or optional feature on certain Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Volvo, Ford, Honda, and Mazda models.