▲Tesla Model Y vehicle (Source: Tesla)


Vision system itself… Autonomous driving possible with camera only
Experts voice concerns, “Questions about camera recognition exist”

Tesla is eliminating radar and ultrasonic sensors, and will drive autonomously using only cameras and autopilot functions.

According to Reuters, Tesla announced on the 4th (local time) that it plans to remove the ultrasonic sensor (USS) from the Model 3 and Y starting this month, and will not install the ultrasonic sensor in the Model S and X starting in 2023.

Ultrasonic sensors are installed in 12 units on the front and rear of the vehicle to identify nearby objects for functions such as automatic parking and collision warning when driving slowly.

Tesla said on its website that its vision system has advanced so that ultrasonic sensors are no longer needed, and that autonomous driving is possible just by analyzing images input from cameras.

The auto-parking feature will be temporarily limited for Tesla vehicles that have removed the ultrasonic sensors, and will likely be enabled via OTA in the future.

While there are positive opinions that it can somewhat reduce the impact of the automotive semiconductor shortage and save costs, there are also voices of concern.

Raj Rajkumar, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, "It remains to be seen whether this will be a 'one step back for two steps forward' or the opposite," said Professor Philip Koopman of the same university, adding: "The question is how well the cameras can see. Sometimes there can be problems."

While other companies utilize a variety of sensors, including cameras, lidar, and radar, Tesla only uses cameras.

Cameras provide shape recognition information about target objects through visible light, thereby reading information such as lanes, signs, and signals.

It has the advantage of being able to see long distances and being cheaper than other sensors. However, it also has the disadvantage of being difficult to recognize when there are external obstacles such as bad weather, fog, and impurities.