30s Summary

Tesla’s upcoming “We, Robot” event is garnering attention, with speculation suggesting the launch of an autonomous robotaxi or a new car model. The event could also see Tesla discussing progress towards its self-driving ambitions, including optimizations to the ‘Smart Summon’ feature. The firm faces criticism for using a “vision-only” approach without additional sensors, and for dealing with “edge cases” where cars are unable to predict their reactions. Success at the event is expected to renew confidence in Tesla’s self-driving technology and prophecies of its future profitability.

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Tesla’s upcoming event, “We, Robot,” is causing quite a stir, but nobody’s really sure what the carmaker’s got in store. The event is set for October 10 in Hollywood.

What most people are betting on is that Elon Musk, Tesla’s boss man, will debut an autonomous “robotaxi”. From what we’ve heard, this could either be a three-wheeler or a minivan, both built without any traditional controls like a steering wheel or pedals.

Some followers think Tesla might release a new car model, possibly replacing the retired Model 3, or maybe update us on the long-awaited Tesla Roadster. Given the event name, “We, Robot,” there are also whispers that we might see Optimus, the company’s humanoid robot.

The event’s website only drops one hint, with a fully booked invite to “watch a livestream of our We, Robot event where you’ll see the unveiling of the future of autonomy.”

People are speculating that this could mean enhancements to Tesla’s Smart Summon feature in their self-driving cars. Musk has been promising fully self-driving cars since 2014, but has so far been unable to deliver on that promise.

The chat around Tesla’s self-driving car progress focuses on two main points. Firstly, Tesla is sticking with a “vision-only approach.” This means the company plans to use only the cameras already installed in their cars to achieve full autonomy. Many competitors, however, use a mix of cameras and other sensors.

The second key point in Tesla’s self-driving ambitions is the “edge cases issue.” This is the idea that most of the difficulties with getting a car to drive itself have been solved, but there are still situations where self-driving cars can’t predict their reaction.

Currently, Tesla’s self-driving features still need human intervention, which isn’t ideal. When experts judge a self-driving system’s effectiveness, they look at how often humans have to step in to avoid danger or get the car out of a jam it can’t figure out.

People watching the Oct. 10 event will not only look for a self-driving car reveal. They’ll also see whether Tesla can talk about how far these cars can actually go on their own on different terrains.

Even if all Tesla does at the event is show off an enhanced Summon feature, at least it’d be a fun bonus for Tesla owners and those thinking of buying one. If Tesla doesn’t show solid progress with their self-driving car tech, people might start doubting the future of Tesla’s robotaxis and self-driving cars.

Analysts like Cathy Wood, who founded ARK Invest, believe self-driving cars could earn Tesla trillions of dollars. But, Tesla has to show real moves forward in the self-driving game if they want to keep those predictions alive.

Source: Cointelegraph