Tesla’s Autopilot System
Tesla’s semi self-driving Autopilot system has been labeled as a “wannabe” autonomous technology by a Volvo engineer despite impressing everyone from journalists to the industry experts. Trent Victor, Volvo’s senior technical leader of crash avoidance claimed that Tesla is flaunting its basic autopilot system more capable than it really is.
Unlike Volvo, which has been putting a lot of effort to claim a level 4 autonomous car, Tesla’s Autopilot is at level 3.
The level 3 autopilot system gives control back to driver in the event of a dangerous situation, whereas a level 4 doesn’t require any intervention by driver during any event. This makes Tesla’s autonomous system dangerous by giving an impression of doing more than it actually is, as put by Victor.
This debate is simply a difference between autonomous design philosophy of Tesla and Volvo. Tesla believes its level 2 autopilot system (considered level 3 by Ford too) assists drivers in making driving decisions. Volvo on the other hand wants the entire situation to be a safe scenario for the drivers, eliminating the possibility of a dangerous situation through its level-4 autonomous system.
A wannabe autopilot system or not, the regulation authorities are benchmarking the rules about autonomous systems for making them a safer experience for everyone. A NHTSA hearing regarding the matter was happened in Silicon Valley on 27th April.
