From Motor1 · Brian Potter · · 1m 10s
Elon Musk Cites Gray Kittens as Tesla Robotaxi Night Limit
Tesla's Austin Robotaxi service extends to 11 p.m. after Musk says gray pets on dark pavement remain a night obstacle.
In brief
Tesla's Austin Robotaxi service extends to 11 p.m. after Musk says gray pets on dark pavement remain a night obstacle. Tesla's Austin Robotaxi service runs until 11 p.m. due to difficulty detecting gray animals against dark pavement at night. Originally reported by Motor1.
Tesla Robotaxi Austin Service Update
Tesla's Austin Robotaxi service now runs until 11 p.m. instead of 10 p.m. after Elon Musk's October 3 announcement.
“The main thing we are trying to solve is making sure that we do not run over pets when they are hard to see at night.”
Nighttime Visibility Challenge
Musk states gray animals on dark pavement create low-contrast obstacles that cameras struggle to detect at night.
“Literally trying to avoid grey kittens on grey tarmac in the dark”
Musk's Camera Vision Claim
Musk says cameras in the visible spectrum can see well in the dark when AI counts photons under ideal conditions.
“Cameras in the visible spectrum can see very well in the dark when the AI is doing the photon count”
Competing Sensor Approaches
Waymo uses 13 cameras, four LiDAR units, and six radars across 4,000 vehicles, while Rivian claims LiDAR costs just a few hundred dollars per vehicle.
“camera vision setups have a safety curve that flattens out way too early”
NHTSA Investigation
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating 3.2 million Tesla vehicles over Full Self-Driving crashes linked to poor visibility.
“investigating 3.2 million Tesla vehicles over Full Self-Driving crashes tied to poor visibility conditions”
Legal and Safety Concerns
Tesla faces legal questions about Cybercab's lack of steering wheel and pedals, plus a recent bollard crash in Austin.
“the vehicle has no steering wheel or pedals for a human to take over”
The takeaway
Tesla's Austin Robotaxi service runs until 11 p.m. due to difficulty detecting gray animals against dark pavement at night.
