Horsepower! Tesla’s self-driving software goes haywire when it spots a carriage on the highway and confuses the nostalgic way of traveling with a semi-truck
- A video shared to TikTok shows a Tesla mistaking a horse-drawn carriage for a semi-truck, pedestrian and sedan
- The AI-powered system was not likely trained to pick up the rudimentary way of traveling
- The video has been viewed more than 590,000 times by users who seem to find the mishap humorous
Tesla’s self-driving system went haywire when the vehicle drove behind a horse-drawn carriage on the highway, confusing the rudimentary way of traveling with a large semi-truck.
The screen on the dashboard shows a Model Y driving up behind what the AI-powered software computes as a truck, but then it changes to a pedestrian, then to a sedan and back to the big rig.
The event, which took place outside of Zurich, Switzerland, was shared to TikTok and reveals how even the most sophisticated software stumbles with adapting to unexpected scenarios.
The video, shared by ViralHog, has been viewed more than 590,000 times by users who seem to find the mishap humorous – one user commenting that the ‘car is confused, time travel [is] not part of the programing.’
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A TikToker shared a video showing their Tesla software confusing a horse-drawn carriage with a large semi-truck
Tesla uses a computer vision system in its self-driving technology that lets the car ‘see’ its environment including potholes, pedestrians and surrounding vehicles.
It uses cameras, ultrasonic sensors and radar to see and sense the environment around the car.
The sensor and camera suite provides drivers with an awareness of their surroundings that a driver alone would not otherwise have.
However, what the system picks up all comes down to what engineers input and it seems a horse and buggy did not make the cut.
The software also thought there was a pedestrian in the road, but also computed the buggy may be a sedan
The big rig pops back on the screen, but then shifts backwards sideways in a way that some commenters said it gave them ‘Final Destination vibes.’
‘We were driving in our Tesla Model Y when this horse-drawn carriage appeared in front of us,’ the driver of the Tesla shared with the TikTok video.
TESLA AUTOPILOT: CAMERAS AND SENSORS LET THE CAR SEE THE ROAD
Autopilot uses cameras, ultrasonic sensors and radar to see and sense the environment around the car.
The sensor and camera suite provides drivers with an awareness of their surroundings that a driver alone would not otherwise have.
A powerful onboard computer processes these inputs in a matter of milliseconds to help what the company say makes driving ‘safer and less stressful.’
Autopilot is a hands-on driver assistance system that is intended to be used only with a fully attentive driver.
It does not turn a Tesla into a self-driving car nor does it make a car autonomous.
Before enabling Autopilot, driver must agree to ‘keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times’ and to always ‘maintain control and responsibility for your car.’
Once engaged, if insufficient torque is applied, Autopilot will also deliver an escalating series of visual and audio warnings, reminding drivers to place their hands on the wheel.
Any of Autopilot’s features can be overridden at any time by steering or applying the brakes.
‘Unable to pass, we stayed behind and watched as Tesla’s visualization tried to spot it.
‘Starting with a motorcycle, to a car, to a truck backing up, it was all there! Fortunately, we recorded it all with [a] smartphone!’
The video starts with the Tesla traveling toward the white carriage carrying two people and the system instantly suggests it is a large semi-truck
But then the digital semi-truck disappears from the screen and a pedestrian appears, but no one was actually in the road.
The big rig pops back on the screen, but then shifts backwards and sideways in a way that some commenters said it gave them ‘Final Destination vibes.’
Final Destination is a series of films that focus on a group of people who are trying to avoid death and in the second movie, a semi-truck carrying logs caused mass deaths on a highway.
Fortunately, the semi-truck in the TikTok video did not exist.
Many commenters of the video poke fun at the lack of accuracy, as Tesla CEO Elon Musk has long touted the system as being one of the most sophisticated.
However, the technology has yet to live up to Musk’s promises and has led to many Tesla vehicles being recalled.
In February, the firm recalled nearly 54,000 cars and SUVs because their full self-driving software lets them roll through stop signs without coming to a complete halt.
And in April, a ‘deeply disturbing’ video claimed to show a Tesla in full self-driving mode running over a child-size mannequin during a test by a safety campaign group.
The Dawn Project said the vehicle failed to detect the stationary dummy’s presence in the road and hit it over and over again at an average speed of 25mph.
Safety advocates complain that Tesla should not be allowed to test the vehicles on public roads with untrained drivers, and that the Tesla software can malfunction, exposing other motorists and pedestrians to danger.
Most car companies with similar software test with trained human safety drivers.
HISTORY OF FIRST RESPONDER CRASHES CAUSED BY TESLA AUTOPILOT
January 22, 2018 in Culver City: A Tesla Model S hit the back of a fire truck parked at an accident in Culver City around 8:30 am on Interstate 405 using the cars Autopilot system. The Tesla, which was going 65mph, suffered ‘significant damage’ and the firetruck was taken out of service for body work.
May 30, 2018 in Laguna Beach: Authorities said a Tesla sedan in Autopilot mode crashed into a parked police cruiser in Laguna Beach. Laguna Beach Police Sgt. Jim Cota says the officer was not in the cruiser during the crash. He said the Tesla driver suffered minor injuries.
The police SUV ended up with its two passenger-side wheels on a sidewalk.
December 7, 2019 in Norwalk, CT: A 2018 Tesla Model 3 on Interstate 95 in Norwalk, Connecticut using the Autopilot driver assistance system rear-ended a parked police car.
December 29, 2019 in Cloverdale, IN: A 2019 Tesla on Interstate 70 in Cloverdale, Indiana hit the back of a parked firetruck.
The Tesla driver, Derrick Monet, and his wife, Jenna Monet, both suffered serious injuries and were transported to the hospital for immediate medical care. Jenna ultimately succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at Terre Haute Regional Hospital.
June 30, 2020 in West Bridgewater, MA: A Weston, Massachusetts man driving a Tesla hit a Massachusetts State Police cruiser that was stopped in the left lane of Route 24 in West Bridgewater. A trooper who was on the scene reported that the driver, Nicholas Ciarlone, faced a negligent driving charge and was arraigned in September 2020.
July 15, 2020 in Conchise County, AZ: A Tesla Model S hit an Arizona Department of Public Safety patrol car, resulting in the patrol car rear-ending an ambulance that was on the scene of an earlier car accident. No one was seriously injured, but the Tesla driver was taken to the hospital for injuries.
August 26, 2020 in Charlotte, NC: A Tesla driver watching a movie crashed into a Nash County Sherriff’s Office deputy vehicle in Charlotte, North Carolina on US 64 west.
The driver, Devainder Goli, of Raleigh, was accused of violating the move-over law and watching television while operating a vehicle.
February 27, 2021 in Montgomery County, TX: The driver of a Tesla rear-ended a police cruise during a traffic stop in Montgomery County, Texas. Five deputy constables were injured during the accident, which happened around 1:15 am on Eastex Freeway near East River Road.
The Tesla driver was not injured, but was taken into custody on a DWI charge.
March 17, 2021 in Lansing, MI: A Tesla on autopilot crashed into a Michigan State Police car. Troopers from the Lansing Post had been investigating a crash involving a car and a deer on I-96 near Waverly Rd in Eaton County at around 1:12am.
While investigating the crash, a Tesla driving on autopilot struck the patrol car, which had its emergency lights on.
Neither the driver of the Tesla – a 22-year-old man from Lansing – nor the troopers were injured at the scene. Police issued the unidentified man a citation for failure to move over and driving while license suspended.
May 15, 2021 in Arlington, WA: A Tesla driving in Arlington, Washington hit a police vehicle that resulted in ‘significant damage’ to the police car.
There were no injuries reported from the incident.
May 19, 2021 in Miami, Florida: Three people were hospitalized after a Tesla hit a parked Miami-Dade County Department Transportation Road Ranger truck that was blocking the left lane of I-95 to help clear the debris of an earlier crash.
The driver of the Tesla was transported to a nearby hospital with with severe, albeit non-life-threatening, injuries.
July 10 2021 in San Diego: A woman drove her Tesla onto a stretch of Highway 56 that had been closed to investigate an earlier fatal accident. That saw her Tesla smash into a parked, unoccupied highway cruiser.
The woman was arrested on suspicion of DUI, and her passenger was injured.
August 28, 2021 in Orlando: A Tesla Model 3 struck a Florida Highway Patrol cruiser that had pulled over to help a broken-down car. The 27 year-old driver and his passenger both suffered minor injuries. The trooper did not get hurt.
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