On its blog, Tesla said that all cars including the upcoming Model 3, also bound for India, will have the hardware needed to support full self-driving capability at a safety level substantially greater than that of a human driver. The company currently offers the tech on the Model S and X, which are already available for purchase.
The updates comes after several crashes were reported earlier this year including the infamous crash in Florida, USA; where the car crashed with a white tractor trailer. However, Tesla says that the crashes like these will be avoided with the string of updates.
The updated self-driving hardware offers visibility of up to 250 metres
How does it work? The self driving Tesla cars will come equipped with 8 surround cameras providing 360 degree visibility at up to a range of 250 metres. In addition, there are 12 updated ultrasonic sensors, which allow for detection of both hard and soft objects; while a forward-facing radar with enhanced processing provides additional data and is capable of seeing through heavy rain, fog, dust and even the car ahead.
The hardware is complemented by an on-board computer with computing power 40 times over the previous generation and runs the Tesla-developed neural net for vision, sonar and radar processing software. The automaker says this system provides a view in every direction simultaneously and wavelengths higher than the human senses.
The tech won't be available for use just yet and will first be tested
As per Tesla, self-driving vehicles will play a crucial role in improving transportation safety. Full autonomy in driving cars will enable the company offer improved vehicular safety, lower financial cost of transportation and provide low-cost on-demand mobility for those who do not own a vehicle. The last part pointed towards Tesla's plans for ride sharing through its cars.
That said, Tesla won't be introducing the updated tech just yet. The company is currently testing the full autonomous driving system and won't enable the tech, until more testing was performed in real world conditions. Meanwhile, the electric carmaker is on an expansion spree as it moves towards commencing production of its highly awaited and most affordable model yet - Model 3, set to go on sale next year with an India launch expected in 2018.
