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For me, it comes down to the fact that replicating the functionality does not replicate the experience. Tesla's Autopilot may well replicate the functionality o
by stordoff 8y ago
For me, it comes down to the fact that replicating the functionality does not replicate the experience. Tesla's Autopilot may well replicate the functionality of an aviation autopilot, but a plane will have less factors to consider (such as proximity of other traffic) and if something does go wrong/there is something the autopilot can't handle there, in most cases, is time for a human pilot to take over. Getting the same level of functionality that works in the air _will_ cause a crash on the ground, but calling it by the same name is going to make people think the _experience_ is the same (i.e. that the vehicle is fine left to its own devices for at least some period of time -- which would require a significantly more complex system on the ground).
- icc97 8y agoYeah pilots don't use autopilot when taxiing in an airport. The equivalent environment of a plane's autopilot for a car is being on an empty race track. I'm sure Autopilot works well there.
- w0utert 8y agoAn empty racetrack that is perfectly mapped out in advance, at that. Plane autopilot just automates the control inputs/outputs that are needed to follow a predefined flight plan. For anything beyond cruising or following pre-programmed flight patterns like holding loops, it needs guidance from systems on the ground that have no other purpose than telling the plane exactly where the runway is and how to descend to it. There’s not a single system involved that uses vision-based methods and/or any form of object detection. Even the most advanced plane autopilot will not be able to land the plane if the airport systems are down. So in a way, the level of autonomy that Tesla’s autopilot provides is not that far from plane autopilot. That’s clearly not how Tesla PR sells it though.