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this post was submitted on 08 May 2024
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Autopilot maintains altitude and bearing between waypoints in the sky, and in some (ideal) situations can automatically land the aircraft. In terms of piloting an aircraft, it can handle the middle of the journey entirely autonomously, and even sometimes the end (landing).
Autopilot (the Telsa feature) is not rated to drive the car autonomously, requires constant human supervision, and can automatically disengage at any time. Despite being sold as an “autonomous driver”, it cannot function as one, like autopilot on a plane can. It is clearly using the autopilot feature of an aircraft to imply that the car can pilot itself through at least the middle of the journey without direct supervision (which it can’t). That is misrepresentation.
I am a pilot and this is NOT how autopilot works.
There is some autoland capabilities in the larger commercial airliners, but autopilot can be as simple as a wing-leveler.
The waypoints must be programmed by the pilot in the GPS. Altitude is entirely controlled by the pilot, not the plane, except when on a programming instrument approach, and only when it captures the glideslope (so you need to be in the correct general area in 3d space for it to work).
An autopilot is actually a major hazard to the untrained pilot and has killed many, many untrained pilots as a result.
Whereas when I get in my Tesla, I use voice commands to say where I want to go and now-a-days, I don’t have to make interventions. Even when it was first released 6 years ago, it still did more than most aircraft autopilots.
This. But I think it's better to use marine autopilot system as a comparison - aircraft autopilots are closely monitored by three people (two in the cockpit, one on the ground as air traffic control) and they are combined with all sorts of other automated systems such as ground proximity alerts/etc. Not really comparable to a car.
Autopilot in a boat traditionally just turns the steering wheel for you. And all it does is maintain a desired direction of travel. Not even a destination, just a direction. So when (not if) wind or currents steer you off course, you will have to take over the steering wheel. It also doesn't control speed. All it does, really, is allow you to keep travelling in approximately the right direction.
There are more advanced systems, but that's traditionally how autopilot works. It's very primitive and has been in use for over a hundred years.
Having said that, Tesla hasn't just used the word "autopilot". They also repeatedly refer to their system as "Full Self Driving". And it kinda does that, as long as there isn't a fire truck in the way.
Agreed.
Nevertheless, the Federal regulators will have an uphill battle as mentioned in the article.
The big thing they could get Tesla on is the safety record for autosteer. But again there would need to be proof it was known.