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The product simply should not be called Autopilot. Anyone with any common sense could predict that many people will (quite reasonably) assume that a feature cal
by thorum 1y ago
The product simply should not be called Autopilot. Anyone with any common sense could predict that many people will (quite reasonably) assume that a feature called Autopilot functions as a true autopilot, and that misunderstanding will lead to fatalities.
- nullc 1y agoA true autopilot is a system on a boat or aircraft that keeps it on a set heading. ISTM in this case that's what the autopilot did.
- metabagel 1y agoBoats and aircraft are both different from automobiles. They have full freedom of movement. You can't set a course in the same way with an automobile, because the automobile will need to follow a roadway and possibly make turns at intersections. Boats and aircraft can have waypoints, but those waypoints can be mostly arbitrary, whereas a car needs to conform its path to the roadway, traffic, signage, etc. It's an entirely different domain.
- nullc 1y agoYes, an autopilot is not what you need on a car.
- bangaladore 1y ago> feature called Autopilot functions as a true autopilot What's a "true autopilot"? In airplanes, autopilot systems traditionally keep heading, altitude, and speed, but pilots are still required to monitor and take over when necessary. It's not hands-off or fully autonomous. I would argue you are creating a definition of "autopilot" that most people do not agree with.
- metabagel 1y agoWhat matters is the definition which most people use. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44761341 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44761341
- bangaladore 1y agoI guess I don't understand how. > A navigation mechanism, as on an aircraft, that automatically maintains a preset course. Applies here. As far as I can tell the system did do exactly that. But the details of the actual event are unclear (I've heard parked car but also just hitting the back of another car?)
- metabagel 1y agoIt’s an emergent technology. The onus is on Tesla to be crystal clear about capabilities, and consistently so. People might quite reasonably infer that something which is labeled as “auto-“ or “automatic” doesn’t require supervision.
- scbrg 1y agoSuch as automobile?
- metabagel 1y agoAutomobiles are self-propelled, not self-navigating. They don't rely on horses to pull them. automobile: self-propelled (self moving) autopilot: self-piloting (self navigating) https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=automobile https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=automobile
- philistine 1y agoIndeed, since you do not need to externally supervise the drivetrain in a car.
- samrus 1y agoIt didnt maintain the course. It kept going at a t intersection and ploughed into another car
- cosmicgadget 1y agoIANAP but I think they can take their hands off the controls and pick up a dropped phone.
- dzhiurgis 1y agoSo you can on tesla when used correctly. Can you enable plane autopilot and still crash into a mountain?
- HWR_14 1y agoModern autopilots? No, they will not crash into a mountain or another plane.
- dzhiurgis 1y agoSo you’re a pilot?
- Dylan16807 1y agoYou asked the question to someone you knew wasn't a pilot. So why are you ignoring the answer you got, instead waiting to hear if the person that answered is a pilot before you acknowledge it?
- lovehashbrowns 1y agoIt can be called anything in an airplane because there the pilot has some level of training with the system and understands its limits. You don't get a pilot hopping on a 767 and flying a bunch of people around solely because Boeing used autopilot in a deceptive marketing ad, then getting the surprise of a lifetime when the autopilot doesn't avoid flying into a mountain. A car is another thing entirely because the general population's definition of "autopilot" does come into play and sometimes without proper training or education. I can just go rent a tesla right now.
- salawat 1y ago>You don't get a pilot hopping on a 767 and flying a bunch of people around solely because Boeing used autopilot in a deceptive marketing ad, then getting the surprise of a lifetime when the autopilot doesn't avoid flying into a mountain. ...Um... You did get pilots hopping into a 737 MAX, getting training that barely mentioned an automated anti-stall and flight envelope management system called MCAS that eventually flew several planeloads of people into the ground. That was managements idea too, btw.
- __m 1y agoThe word literally means automatic pilot. Legal departments create an alternate definition of the word to not get sued and most people will interpret the word literally.
- realusername 1y agoThere's two conflicting goals here, Tesla's marketing department would really like to make you think the car is fully autonomous for financial reasons (hence autopilot and full self driving) and then there's Tesla's legal department which would prefer to blame somebody else for their poor software.
- dzhiurgis 1y agoAnyone who used it knows its limitations. IDK maybe in 2019 it was different tho, now it's full of warnings that make it barely useable when distracted. Ironically you are better off disabling it and staring into your phone, which seems what regulators actually want. And by the way what is true autopilot? Is the average joe a 787 pilot who's also autopilot master? Funny that pretty much every car ships with autosteer now. Ones I've used didn't seem to have much warnings, explanations, disclaimers or agreements that pundits here assume it should.