High Pressure Air to Clear Cameras

charge0704_98500414

I think Tesla should look into using high pressure air to keep cameras clear from debris such as rain and mud etc.

TeslaTap.com

They work surprisingly well as designed on the S/X/3/Y, even in rain. Cameras will be higher in the Cybertruck, so perhaps even less of an issue.

For offroaders, I don't think Autopilot will be available, so the cameras may not be necessary for a muddy environment. I suppose Tesla could have a $500 camera air cleaning option, but I doubt enough owners would buy it to make it worth the development effort. I'd also concerned the cleaning system could easily get plugged up with dried mud, but maybe with enough pressure that could be solved.

andy_connor_e

the side cameras on the doors have never once gotten obstructed. The front, rear, and B pillar cameras however get blinded all the time. Front one less since it has windshield wipers.

charge0704_98500414

I get a message on my Model 3 that full self driving and/or lane change is unavailable just because it is raining and cameras are blocked. I do not have full self driving beta. I do not know if this is an issue with full self driving in the same circumstances.

andy_connor_e

same problems. the sun blinds my B pillars all the time. i have fsd

barefootbob

is the Auto pilot function directly tied into the camera system ? or is it satellite? or a combo of both? I chose non autonomy . but I am still interested on how it functions and whether or not it is a good option. I own A car with camera back up on it they are not 100% reliable. seems a bit sketchy

andy_connor_e

cameras and radars

TabascoGuy

Andy, doesn't it also use ultrasonic sensors and GPS along with the cameras and radar?

andy_connor_e

not sure about GPS, i was under the impression that ultrasonic was not used in the autopilot suite. but i have no receipts for that.

TeslaTap.com

GPS is used but is not critical. It also doesn't require HD maps as some competitive systems require. Tesla originally went down the HD maps rabbit hole and found it had endless problems. If you design it to not require an HD map/GPS, you're able to deal with a lot more issues (detours, cones, accidents, tunnels, etc.).

I'm also not sure about the ultrasonic sensors. They may offer supplemental information, but like HD maps, I don't think they are required. They may be more important for FSD when driving slow, such as in parking lots or parking into your garage, where the short-range sonar is useful.

TabascoGuy

Did a little research, prolly should have done that in the first place. They do use twelve ultrasonic sensors that "complement" the cameras and radar. They are only effective to a distance of 8 meters.

No mention of GPS on the autopilot page, that was just an assumption of mine based on reports of the car avoiding potholes and driving more conservatively in construction zones.

andy_connor_e

good to know