Elon Musk Claims “Full Self-Driving” Computer Is Unlikely to Fail

At a meeting with investors today, Tesla detailed its full self-driving computer that is now in production. As usual, CEO Elon Musk offered some newsworthy tidbits, saying that the system is unlikely to falter.

“Any part of this can fail, and the car will keep driving,” Musk said. He added: “The probability of this computer failing is substantially lower than somebody losing consciousness. That’s the key metric, at least an order of magnitude.”

Tesla has officially switched from NVIDIA’s platform to its own custom chip, and all Teslas being produced right now have the new computer. Model S and X made the transition about a month ago, Musk said, while the Model 3 changed over around 10 days ago. All Teslas have the hardware needed for full self-driving capability, and now the focus is on improving the software.

Tesla has had a history of rejecting lidar in favor of cameras, and Musk continued to hold the line on that front, calling the technology a “fool’s errand.” “Anyone relying on lidar is doomed,” he said, noting they are expensive and unnecessary. “It’s like having a whole bunch of expensive appendices.” Another takeaway from the event: Tesla will eventually offer a more aggressive setting that allows drivers to change lanes in heavy traffic.

A few months ago, Musk said Tesla will be “feature complete” on full self-driving this year. As he explained at the time, the car will be able to find you in a parking lot, pick you up, and take you all the way to your destination without an intervention. Today, he reiterated this same timeline. He also estimates you won’t need to touch the wheel or look out the window by around the second quarter of next year, and that regulatory approval of the technology will start to become a reality at least in some jurisdictions toward the end of next year. He says regulators will likely approve it first for truck platooning, with one driver up front and other semis trailing behind in a convoy.

Meanwhile, Tesla says it’s already working on a next-generation chip. Musk claims the system will be at least three times better than the current one, and it is about two years away.

Source: Tesla, Business Insider

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