A giant moth knocks out Tesla car’s Autopilot system
Well this is not what you want to happen, people are already nervous about autonomous cars as it is. Can you imagine how this poor Tesla Model S owner felt? He shared his story on Reddit about how a giant moth knocked out the Autopilot system on his car.
The moth flew right in to the forward-facing radar sensor on the Model S which is located near the bottom of the car’s fake grille. There are 12 other ultrasonic sensors on the car, but this is the only front-facing sensor.
Here’s the rather funny account of the story, courtesy of Reddit user and Model S owner Redebo:
There I was, cruising along on [Autopilot] doing 85mph on a lonely stretch of 93 between Kingman and Las Vegas.
SUDDENLY, my driver console flashes red and commands me to take control of the vehicle. AP drops off. Cruise control drops off and I get the ominous warning, “Radar visibility has been reduced.”
I see a lone gas station up the road and slow my roll into the fluorescent lighting of the canopy covering the gas pumps. I step out of the car while a car of German exchange students look quizzically at a [Model S] parked next to a pump. Fearing the worst, I peek around the front of the car and was confronted with this sight.
The Demon Spawn of Mothra had attacked me and rendered my autonomy useless. Never fear though, a quick scrape with the window squeegee over the radar opening and my technology was restored!
The company told Tech Insider that it’s pretty uncommon for a bug of this size to fly into the radar sensor and cover a large majority of its area. Also, if this driver was driving the newly-redesigned Model S, this wouldn’t have happened. The exposed sensor on the older model is now concealed behind the front bodywork of the car’s new nose, which no longer has any kind of fake front grille.
This is what the Model S owner’s manual says about these kinds of obstructions affecting Autopilot:
Autosteer is unable to accurately determine lane markings due to poor visibility (heavy rain, snow, fog, etc.), or an obstructed, covered, or damaged camera or sensor. Many unforeseen circumstances can impair the operation of Autosteer. Always keep this in mind and remember that as a result, Autosteer may not steer Model S appropriately. Always drive attentively and be prepared to take immediate action.
Source: uk.news.yahoo.com