Tesla Full Self Driving (FSD) Beta V11.4.2 — Is Tesla Making Progress?

V11.4.2 is the second model of FSD Beta after the supposedly revolutionary enhancements going from V10 to V11.

There have been intense discussions on the net recently about enormous advances in synthetic intelligence (AI). Apparently, packages like ChatGPT have reached a stage the place they’ll reply conversational questions and write essays and poems, make medical diagnoses, write authorized briefs, and create photos and films that do a reputable imitation of what a reliable skilled individual, digital camera, or video digital camera can do. This progress has come from utilizing enormous new supercomputers with massively parallel NVIDIA model graphic processors repurposed to coach on large complete datasets.

New wider blue pathway line indicating FSD Beta in V11.3.6. April 17, 2023. Picture by Fritz Hasler.

What are the implications of those advances in synthetic intelligence for computerized driving packages? Tesla is utilizing one of many 10 largest computer systems on the planet to course of information from my automobile and as much as 400,000 different automobiles utilizing FSD Beta to “prepare” future variations of the software program. The Tesla method makes use of cameras that substitute for human eyes and a Tesla customized “supercomputer” utilizing neural nets that attempt to imitate the advert hoc brainy selections {that a} human makes. Tesla just isn’t utilizing the method that another corporations have used of fully mapping the driving setting so that each one the selections the automobile makes are specified forward of time.

What’s my tackle how that is figuring out to date?

We just lately had been in a position to obtain the second V11 model of Tesla’s Full Self Driving Beta (V11.4.2). We’re spending the summer season in rural Northern Wisconsin, so my skill to guage it in heavy visitors and sophisticated conditions is restricted. Nevertheless, there are nonetheless issues that we will consider right here.

Within the low-traffic scenario right here, I can usually put an deal with into the navigation and have it drive me the entire route with out intervention. A giant benefit to FSD Beta over common Autosteer right here in Northern Wisconsin is that the automobile will drive mechanically and precisely on roads with no traces (no yellow traces within the middle and no white traces on the perimeters of the highway). It would additionally precisely navigate sharper turns than Autosteer.

One of many points about earlier variations of FSD Beta was too-timid (gradual) habits at cease indicators. I’ve been making quantitative observations of V11.4.2 habits at cease indicators. V11.4.2 now at all times stops my automobile on the right place at cease indicators. This wasn’t at all times true earlier than. The subsequent query is how timid it’s at cease indicators. When leaving my home right here, I’ve two cease indicators the place a smaller highway tees into an even bigger highway and later tees right into a state freeway. I’ve been timing the interval from full cease to brisk acceleration. If the visibility of the larger highway is sweet, I’m seeing a pause of ~3 seconds till brisk acceleration. Sadly, I didn’t measure this pause on the earlier V11 model, so I don’t know if that’s an enchancment. 3 seconds is fast sufficient that I don’t suppose a automobile behind me could be considerably inconvenienced. If the visibility of the larger highway from the cease signal just isn’t good, the automobile creeps ahead for a greater view and it takes a complete of ~5 seconds to brisk acceleration. If there’s a automobile behind me or a automobile within the distance approaching on the freeway, I’ll add slightly accelerator encouragement.

Phantom braking

For all 11 variations of FSD Beta that I’ve used, phantom braking has been a difficulty. Nevertheless, I discover it to be an annoyance relatively than a present stopper. Phantom regenerative deceleration may be a greater time period usually. When utilizing FSD Beta, my proper foot is at all times resting evenly on the accelerator. If I’ve a phantom braking occasion and there’s a automobile behind me, I apply some strain to the accelerator to maintain from slowing down considerably. With no automobile behind me, I let the automobile decelerate and velocity again up. I attempt to observe the “non-intervened” habits of FSD Beta at any time when attainable.

I’ve noticed new habits with the final two variations of FSD Beta. I name it phantom swerving! I see this fairly incessantly on the two-lane roads the place I often drive right here in Northern Wisconsin. The automobile acts like there’s a individual or object in the midst of my lane. It swerves abruptly into the opposing visitors lane and again. As soon as it even swerved onto the shoulder of the highway. I intervened as a result of I believed it’d drive off the highway. The issue: There was nothing that I might see that justified this swerving.

For six months, my spouse and I used 10 variations of FSD Beta V10. We just lately acquired the so known as “revolutionary” improve from V10 to V11. This improve was supposed to include massive enhancements that Tesla has been engaged on for a very long time. We acquired our improve to V11.3.6 slightly over a month in the past. In a previous article, I reported on my first impressions. This text is my report on what I’ve noticed with the most recent model, V11.4.2.

FSD evaluation abstract

Sure, there have been vital enhancements. For instance, when working accurately, FSD Beta V11 strikes you over and will get you into the proper flip lane earlier. The lane modifications are additionally a lot smoother. You additionally get a wider blue pathway middle line that permits you to know that FSD Beta is lively (as proven within the image on the high of this text). You continue to have the choice of FSD-only on limited-access highways, which provides you a narrower blue middle line, or Autosteer-only, which provides you two very slim blue traces on all sides of the lane.

Nevertheless, nonetheless too incessantly, FSD Beta places you within the fallacious lane. The worst is when it places you right into a flip lane when the navigation requires going straight. This, to me, is the most important failure of the present system. Notice: Right here in Northern Wisconsin, I don’t get an opportunity to look at this usually. Nevertheless, the city of Rhinelander (inhabitants 8,308) is 25 miles to our south. Immediately, whereas nonetheless in Rhinelander as we returned to Three Lakes, FSD Beta wrenched my steering wheel and put me right into a flip lane that was inconsistent with the navigation route. So, it’s clear that FSD Beta V11.4.2 has not solved this drawback.

Why haven’t these issues been fastened? Tesla has enormous groups of software program specialists engaged on their complete AI method. But, I’ve seen no enchancment in phantom braking and unhealthy lane selections within the 11 variations of the software program I’ve used. My take: The AI method Tesla is utilizing doesn’t deal with these issues.

I’d love to listen to about your experiences with FSD Beta within the feedback part. Have any of you noticed phantom swerving?