The driverless cars of the future that will be constantly spying on us
Continual surveillance of drivers through video cameras to ensure they are paying attention is the only answer, say experts
24 April 2021 • 5:00am
Opponents of seat belt laws have often used a macabre thought experiment to justify their position. What if, they say, a sharp stake was mounted in the centre of the steering wheel, pointing directly at the driver’s heart to make crashes fatal?
Cases of speeding and drunk driving would surely plummet. The roads would become safer for pedestrians, cyclists and passengers, perhaps even for drivers, if their appetite for risk changed enough.
Perhaps they should call it Superlative Cruise. (Fox News Autos)
The latest version of General Motors’ Super Cruise highway driving aid is now available in the 2021 Cadillac Escalade.
It adds a lane-change feature to the original lane-centering adaptive cruise control that first launched with the 2017 Cadillac CT6.
The system uses cameras, radar, ultrasonic sensors and a database of 3D maps that were created with lidar scanning and cover over 200,000 miles of highways in North America where it is capable of operating. (FoxNews.com)
Facial recognition technology, which does not record any video, monitors drivers to make sure they are watching the road in case any emergencies arise and they need to take over. Look away for too long, close them or doze off and the system will begin a disengagement sequence that ends with the vehicle slowing down, turning on the hazard lights and calling for help.
Only some customers who purchase the FSD option get access to the beta version to try the newest features that are being added to the system before all bugs are worked out. The company disclosed that it rolled out FSD beta to 2,000 drivers previously, but revoked access for a few drivers who allegedly weren t paying proper attention to the road.
In his most recent update, via Twitter, Musk said on April 9 that Tesla is Almost ready with FSD Beta V9.0. Step change improvement is massive, especially for weird corner cases & bad weather. Pure vision, no radar.
Despite its brand name, the FSD system is not capable of controlling a Tesla vehicle in all normal driving circumstances. Tesla told the California DMV late last year, according to records obtained by CNBC and others, that neither Autopilot nor FSD Capability is an autonomous system.
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Sputnik International
BlueCruise uses on-screen graphics to communicate with the driver that it is ready to operate. (Ford)
BlueCruise pricing as a standalone option ranges from $1,595 in the F-150 to $3,200 in the Mach-E, which includes a required $600 three-year subscription to the connected service, while the hardware is included in the list price of several upscale trims and is ready for use with a subscription plan.
Ford said the feature will be activated sometime in the second half of this year and that it expects to have 100,000 vehicles with it on the road by the end of 2022.
Along with GM and Ford, Jeep and Lexus have also announced they are launching similar hands-free driving aids in the coming months.