Owners of Tesla Model 3 or Model Y can now enable the in-car camera to monitor the autopilot driving of the vehicle. More Details. Tesla has enabled this feature via a software update. One of the Tesla owners took to Twitter to post images of the latest software in his Model Y. The release notes of the “Camera Cabin Updates” state, “If you do not want your information shared, then you can change the car’s data settings by going to Tap > Controls > Safety & Security > Data Sharing via the Tesla’s touch screen. Otherwise, it’s disabled by default and your data is only stored locally.” This is a relief for consumers concerned about their privacy.
As per TechCrunch, Tesla’s vehicles used sensors built into the steering wheel to keep drivers’ hands on the wheel while in Auto-Pilot mode. However, if some articles on the internet are to be believed, it was really easy to make the system think that your hands are on the wheel.
The feature was released just days after the company’s CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the Model 3 and Model Y will be made without radar for North America. Tesla also said in a blog post that they will rely on camera vision and net neural processing to deliver Autopilot, Full-Self Driving and certain active safety features.
The cars’ sensors, LiDar and camera work in tandem to detect spacing and objects around it for things like blind spots, forward collision warnings, automatic emergency braking, and more. However, moving from radar to a camera-based system compromises some safety aspects. Tesla has lost its “Top Pick” status from Consumer Reports and other seals of approvals from various testing organizations.