
Tesla owner says Autopilot automatically regained control after slide-video - heshiebee
https://electrek.co/2019/01/05/tesla-autopilot-control-sliding-ice-video/
======
natch
I drove a Model 3 AWD to a snowy and icy area this vacation and have to say
the traction control is phenomenal. I mean really astounding. I was able to
climb steep hills that the car had NO right to climb, with summer tires, that
locals (presumably with 4WD or AWD and snow tires, though I can't be sure, but
these are people who live in snow covered mountains) were giving up on and
backing out of. The trick was going very slow... in the steepest parts, as
slow as a fraction of walking speed. Which admittedly won't always work if an
aggressive driver relying on momentum is charging up behind you, but I was
watching my back. Yeah, I may have just gotten lucky. But I think with snow
tires the car would have been a beast on the same hill.

Later on a wide, empty, mostly flat road covered with ice I attempted many
times to break traction and induce a slide, and the vehicle maintained control
at all times. Again, summer tires. I am an experienced snow/ice driver having
grown up in a snowy, mountainous area. The car is seriously impressive in
winter conditions. It's no coincidence that Tesla's largest sales numbers per
capita are in Norway.

None of this comment was about autopilot, but I believe autopilot can leverage
the same traction control and couple it with autopilot features so I wouldn't
be surprised if this video is not just a fluke... time will tell.

~~~
zozbot123
> The trick was going very slow... in the steepest parts, as slow as a
> fraction of walking speed.

Yup, that's how electric motors work: they deliver full power even at very low
speeds, so you can increase torque simply by going slower - no need to "shift
to a lower gear" in order to keep the engine in its high-power range!

~~~
natch
Yup indeed. Not sure why you are getting downvoted but it’s not by me.

------
CodeWriter23
I’m thinking a real “Auto Pilot” would have sensed the road conditions and
slowed the vehicle before it slid out of control. Still cool that it could
recover from such a situation however.

------
dzhiurgis
I've always had impression that in most cars of past 10 years with ESP/ESC it
would be impossible to loose control like that.

I've had slipped once on snowy road and ESP/ESC was immediate to regain
control. I've slipped maybe 50cm sideways.

Mate tried to showcase this on gravel road and it was impossible to loose
control of the car (circa year 2000 Opel).

How is it possible to swerve so much with Tesla? Has anyone lost control this
much with ESP/ESC before?

------
Traster
Firstly, if your car goes out of control whilst on cruise control don't do
nothing. This driver was reckless. Secondly, do go around advertising that
'Autopilot' will do things like this - it's completely unverified and spreads
a dangerous rumour. How long until some idiot tries to recreate this?

~~~
heshiebee
I don't think it's impossible. There are proven techniques to recover from
slides and regain car control. As human beings we tend to overreact and rarely
get it right when correcting loss of control but a computer when using
preprogrammed techniques and has access to many more variables can at least
perform at the skill level of a pro driver.

~~~
Traster
I'm not saying it's impossible, I'm just saying if you don't know that the
system is designed for that it's dumb to take the risk, and it working once is
not a guarantee it's going to work twice.

------
ganeshkrishnan
The first clue that it's dangerous up ahead is the rest of the cars braking
and driving slower. That should have been his hint to slow down.

Also, even if it's a current generation fully automated self driving car,
don't leave it on auto pilot under such conditions.

------
rasz
Sceptic in me says this video was trivial to fake.

