neuronbob

So the Model S gets an auto steering beta. This is basically ACC, LKAS, and CMBS on steroids. The steering is much more than the 10 degrees the Honda system allows. It even reads (sometimes) street signs.

On the one hand, God bless American ingenuity, we still have some! On the other hand, I can't wait to see what Acura's answer to this will be, especially since they are testing self-driving cars near SF. I'd love an update to what's already in my Sport Hybrid. I use ACC, LKAS and CMBS every time I drive in my Legend.

getakey

Friend of mine just got the OS update from Tesla with this in it, but he has to pay more to activate it.
Our 2014 BMW i3 reads mph in street signs and updates in navi - in the display not the Database. in other words if there is a temp sign with different limit it will show temp limit in navi screen

neuronbob

^^^
Sounds like the i3 has nice functionality in that regard. Here's hoping Acura adds to theirs soon.

I'm amazed at how much I let the RLX do the driving for me. I am someone who loves the driving experience, enough that I've got two cars with manual transmissions....yet a large part of me wants automated driving, too.

thoiboi

pretty fun video! I used to work down the area that he tested it on FLL to MIA so recognized all the areas

CheeseyPoofs McNut

Did you see the 60 minutes piece from a few weeks ago:

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/60-min...f-driving-car/

Mercedes and Google are already at an impressive place with the technology.

thoiboi

Google has been way ahead the game in the driverless car scene. I went up to San Jose/Mountain View a few years ago and saw a couple self-driving RX's on the road. It was incredulous to see.

jpadilla

very ballsy to let it auto drive around a bend with head on traffic coming.

CostcoFanAUS

Related to autonomous driving, I asked the Tesla rep "how does it know where I want to go?" during the test drive today. I was hoping him saying that just punch in the address and hit enter or something... He answered that it only works on highways, not our local streets. So I didn't get to try it.

The other thing he mentioned is very cool. The car has adjustable ride height and it remembers the potholes you hit without any input/action from you and will adjust the height or avoid it (?) when you go near the same potholes in the future...kind of convenient given Malibu's recent pothole incident.

fsmith

The pothole feature sounds dubious and unlikely to me. Avoid it by doing what, steering into oncoming traffic? And stop avoiding it when it knows the pothole has been fixed, how? Sounds like the rep has been smoking something.

CostcoFanAUS

I was suspicious of that too and hence the question mark. The adjustable ride height according to pothole histories seems more plausible.

After seeing the video in the op, I wonder why the rep told me that the auto pilot feature won't work in our local streets? He did make me sign an electronic form that if any accident during the test drive, my insurance would cover it.

TacoBello

The one thing that ultimately sucks about self driving cars, is that they obey speed limits 100%. I don't think you get the option of doing a bit over the speed limit on the highway. That alone will keep people from using such a system. A long drive becomes just that much longer.

TacoBello

I remember reading somewhere that these systems aren't able to negotiate through an intersection... Yet. This was the case for at least a few manufacturers... But they're working on the technology to do so. I wonder if some manufacturers have already figured out how to tackle it.

CostcoFanAUS

This is not entirely true; he did showed me on the giant iPad when we returned to the club house how to set up auto pilot when on a highway. You can tell it to do say 4, 5, 6, 7...etc. miles above the posted limit. There must be a upper limit on that system but I didn't ask what's the magic number.

Disclaimer: I am not speaking for tesla but just sharing my experience/ observation with y'all.

TBC787

I can't even begin to imagine any significant auto driving. Aviation automation has huge issues regarding complacent pilots allowing the automation utilization to takeover for a lack of skill sets. Why would we expect different results for automobiles? Most idiots can't even talk and drive much less allow for the car to handle these duties! Rant over.