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Tesla Auto Wipers: Why They Don't Work and Why There Isn't an Easy Fix

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Re: Tesla Auto Wipers: Why They Don't Work and Why There Isn't an Easy Fix

#11

Post by hanief »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #2

> This is a result of Tesla’s strategy to rely upon Tesla Vision to replace all sensors – which they’ve successfully used most recently to replace the ultrasonic parking sensors (USS) on their vehicles. Tesla believes that vision is the solution to achieving all self-driving capabilities, and this includes the elimination of extraneous sensors such as USS and radar. Why are they so hell-bent on using nothing but vide…

I think they falsely believe human only needs one sense to navigate: sight. But we actually use our hearing, smell, and touch too. So, multiple type sensors is actually better than only one.

Re: Tesla Auto Wipers: Why They Don't Work and Why There Isn't an Easy Fix

#12

Post by yreg »

I don't mind most of the common Tesla complaints, but this one I can agree with 100%.

The auto-wipers work ridiculously bad for me and it would be a non-issue if they had just used a dedicated $2 part, like everyone else does.

It is a good example of how the 'use nothing but computer vision for everything' dogma is stupid.

In the end it's not a big problem for me, I just use manual wipers, the same as I did on my previous, rather old car. But it's dumb.

Re: Tesla Auto Wipers: Why They Don't Work and Why There Isn't an Easy Fix

#13

Post by yareal »

Autowiper sensors are some of the simplest, well understood technology around. You place an infrared led at a low angle to the windshield, you place an ir collector so the light from the LED hits it. (Remember that at shallow angles, light reflects off glass.)

When water is on the sensor, the angle of refraction and reflection change, and the ir collector suddenly sees much less light.

Two components, plus a microcontroller. Usually two such sensors are on the windshield. Absolutely dead simple and cheap.

Why the fuck would you replace that with a camera trying to parse video?! That's so much more complicated. That's like trying to determine vehicle speed from a camera rather than sensors on the tires or whatever.

Re: Tesla Auto Wipers: Why They Don't Work and Why There Isn't an Easy Fix

#14

Post by debatem1 »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #2

> This is a result of Tesla’s strategy to rely upon Tesla Vision to replace all sensors – which they’ve successfully used most recently to replace the ultrasonic parking sensors (USS) on their vehicles. Tesla believes that vision is the solution to achieving all self-driving capabilities, and this includes the elimination of extraneous sensors such as USS and radar. Why are they so hell-bent on using nothing but vide…

Guessing, but the cheapest sensor is the one you already have installed.

Re: Tesla Auto Wipers: Why They Don't Work and Why There Isn't an Easy Fix

#15

Post by yareal »

TaylorAlexander wrote: post #6
dontreact wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Elon’s belief that humans doing it with vision is proof it can be done with video

You’re right about Elon but I’ve thought about it and it’s flawed reasoning. Humans don’t do it “with vision” we do it with five senses and the human brain. The computer is severely limited compared to the human brain, so in the context of things like LiDAR, the computer needs all the help it can get. And for rain sensing, the camera doesn’t see the windshield like a person does!

Considerably more than five senses, actually. We rely on a huge variety of inputs beyond the basic ones when we drive.

Re: Tesla Auto Wipers: Why They Don't Work and Why There Isn't an Easy Fix

#16

Post by dawnerd »

dontreact wrote: post #4
pavel_lishin wrote: post #2

> This is a result of Tesla’s strategy to rely upon Tesla Vision to replace all sensors – which they’ve successfully used most recently to replace the ultrasonic parking sensors (USS) on their vehicles. Tesla believes that vision is the solution to achieving all self-driving capabilities, and this includes the elimination of extraneous sensors such as USS and radar. Why are they so hell-bent on using nothing but vide…

Elon’s belief that humans doing it with vision is proof it can be done with video

Vision would make sense... if the cameras were placed back where the driver actually sits.

Re: Tesla Auto Wipers: Why They Don't Work and Why There Isn't an Easy Fix

#18

Post by dmbche »

ghostcluster wrote: post #7
pavel_lishin wrote: post #2

> This is a result of Tesla’s strategy to rely upon Tesla Vision to replace all sensors – which they’ve successfully used most recently to replace the ultrasonic parking sensors (USS) on their vehicles. Tesla believes that vision is the solution to achieving all self-driving capabilities, and this includes the elimination of extraneous sensors such as USS and radar. Why are they so hell-bent on using nothing but vide…

It feels to me like another one of Elon's stubborn whims. Sometimes these result in great innovations, like Tesla's giant car part 'gigacasting'. Other times, they result in deciding to rename Twitter "X" and forcing a team of engineers to spend over a year combing meticulously through the codebase to remove all references to "twitter.com"

Isn't gigacasting awful for the consumer? Can't replace most parts, have to replace the expensive gigacast?

Re: Tesla Auto Wipers: Why They Don't Work and Why There Isn't an Easy Fix

#19

Post by jimberlage »

hanief wrote: post #11
pavel_lishin wrote: post #2

> This is a result of Tesla’s strategy to rely upon Tesla Vision to replace all sensors – which they’ve successfully used most recently to replace the ultrasonic parking sensors (USS) on their vehicles. Tesla believes that vision is the solution to achieving all self-driving capabilities, and this includes the elimination of extraneous sensors such as USS and radar. Why are they so hell-bent on using nothing but vide…

I think they falsely believe human only needs one sense to navigate: sight. But we actually use our hearing, smell, and touch too. So, multiple type sensors is actually better than only one.

Fully agree - also it’s a bit weird on Tesla’s part to think that there could be no possible way to make things better than a human in some regards. If humans had radar, it would probably make us more capable, not less.

Re: Tesla Auto Wipers: Why They Don't Work and Why There Isn't an Easy Fix

#20

Post by yreg »

sho_hn wrote: post #10
ghostcluster wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It feels to me like another one of Elon's stubborn whims. Sometimes these result in great innovations, like Tesla's giant car part 'gigacasting'. Other times, they result in deciding to rename Twitter "X" and forcing a team of engineers to spend over a year combing meticulously through the codebase to remove all references to "twitter.com"

Regarding the gigacasting: https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tesla-...

That article states that they are retracting to their previous method of gigacasting.

The one that other carmakers are starting to use too, inspired by Tesla.

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