Mark Rober’s Tesla video was more than a little weird
1 min read
Summary
A new video from YouTuber and former NASA engineer Mark Rober sought to show how Tesla’s camera-only Autopilot system is less effective than a vehicle equipped with lidar.
To do this he staged a test in which a Tesla Model Y and a car with lidar were put through a test involving a “dummy wall” in the road, with the lidar vehicle braking in time, and the Tesla driving into the wall.
The video has been a huge success, but Tesla supporters and some viewers have questioned its legitimacy, noting a number of faults with the test.
These include that Autopilot was not engaged, that the driver of the Tesla didn’t brake in time, that Mark used outdated hardware, or that the whole thing was simply a paid promotion for Luminar (maker of the lidar system) and other organizations.
Rober has since released “raw footage” of the event- which does seem to show Autopilot engaged- but not before the vehicle hits the wall.
This mirrors an investigation by the NHTSA in 2022, in which Autopilot aborted vehicle control in 16 out of 26 incidents involving stationary emergency vehicles.