To reduce abuse with Autopilot, Tesla activates the interior camera of its cars

Tesla may have found a solution to prevent owners from messing with Autopilot: the internal camera can now monitor the attention of the driver, who normally has to stay alert behind the wheel.

Did you know ? Since the launch of the Model 3, Tesla cars have had an interior camera. Except it hadn't had much use…until now. As Electrek reports in an article published on May 27, the camera is now active and is used to monitor the driver's attention when Autopilot is operating. In recent weeks, we have been able to observe very dangerous behavior during the use of hyper-assisted driving. This increased monitoring could better deter owners from abusing the autopilot function.

This information is corroborated by an owner named Kevin Smith. After receiving his Model Y equipped with Tesla Vision technology (the Autopilot which relies solely on cameras), he tweeted that the 100% electric SUV does have an active camera inside. Note that you must always keep your hands on the wheel for the Autopilot to work: it is not a replacement solution.

Tesla's interior camera monitors driver attention

Tesla's interior camera finally useful

"The cockpit camera located above your interior mirror can now detect and alert to driver inattention when Autopilot is engaged," the patch note states. If some fear a leak of images, which Tesla could view at will, the description is reassuring: "The data from the camera does not leave the car, which means that the system cannot record or transmit information, unless data sharing is permitted. From the settings, the owners can therefore agree to transmit these images.

For Tesla, this is a way of preventing the misuse of Autopilot, a very advanced technology which can unfortunately be circumvented if we really apply ourselves to it (up to leading to dramas). This novelty fits perfectly into the ambition behind Tesla Vision, based on autonomous driving that works only with cameras (and sufficiently refined artificial intelligence).

Originally, Tesla wanted to use this indoor camera for the service that will allow an owner to earn money by making their 100% self-driving car available to others (like an Airbnb). The goal in this case was to deter: if someone damages your vehicle while using it, the videos will serve as evidence against them. This camera can also be useful for Sentinel Mode, “since it can see behind the rear windows. »

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