Tesla’s decision to remove its radar sensors from its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving vehicle programs was met with opposition from its engineers. According to a new report, a significant number of Tesla engineers tried to convince Elon Musk not to give up on radar for its self-driving efforts. However, Musk overruled them, believing that cameras were the only sensors needed to achieve self-driving capability.
Tesla’s “Tesla Vision” approach relies solely on cameras as the only sensors. The automaker believes that the best way to replicate human driving is through cameras replacing the eyes and neural nets running on a computer replacing the brain.
The removal of the radar sensors on Tesla vehicles was done in 2021, and the ultrasonic sensors were removed last year. The decision to remove these sensors was met with skepticism from Tesla engineers, who believed that it could lead to an uptick in accidents related to Tesla Autopilot.
The SF Gate report claims that the removal of radar sensors was linked to an increase in accidents related to Tesla Autopilot. The report also states that a significant number of engineers warned Musk that removing the radar would be problematic.
Despite the engineers’ opposition, Musk overruled them, believing that cameras were the only sensors needed for self-driving capability. This decision has put Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving programs under scrutiny, as accidents related to these programs continue to occur.
In conclusion, Tesla’s decision to remove radar sensors from its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving vehicle programs was met with skepticism from its engineers. The decision to remove the sensors has put Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving programs under scrutiny, as accidents related to these programs continue to occur. Tesla’s “Tesla Vision” approach relies solely on cameras, and the automaker believes that the best way to achieve self-driving capability is through cameras replacing the eyes and neural nets running on a computer replacing the brain. However, the decision to remove the radar sensors has not been well-received by Tesla engineers who believe that it could lead to more accidents.
