Summary/Reader Response Draft 4

 Electric Vehicles

 

The electrifying technology behind Electric Vehicles (EVs), specifically Tesla models, have significantly driven the transition towards solutions for automated transportation (Armstrong, 2023). The Autopilot system, developed by Tesla, is considered by many to be the forefront of vehicle automation, as it leads the charge for the future of cars and transportation by merging cutting-edge hardware with advanced software. Essentially, Autopilot is an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) that enhances safety and convenience when driving.

 

At its core, Autopilot employs 8 external cameras, ultrasonic sensors, radar, and a powerful onboard computer to perceive and interpret the surrounding environment (Tesla, n.d). The key features of Autopilot include Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC) that adjusts the cruising speed of the vehicle to match surrounding traffic, Autosteer to assist in steering on vehicular roads, and Navigate on Autopilot, which enables automated lane changes and highway interchanges. In addition to these driving-assist features, Autopilot also includes several advanced safety technologies, such as Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward and Side Collision Warning and Obstacle Aware Acceleration (Tesla, n.d). Although a driver must remain behind the wheel, Autopilot allows the vehicle to drive autonomously with minimal driver intervention, reducing the overall workload of a driver through partial vehicle automation (Tesla, n.d). Despite being a revolution in the car industry, Tesla's Autopilot is plagued by persisting limitations in certain essential areas, such as not being able to be fully autonomous, having navigation capabilities impacted by poor visibility and inaccurate and outdated map data.

 

Tesla Autopilot’s most consequential limitation is its unavoidable need for a driver to consciously operate the vehicle. As opposed to manual driving, Autopilot gives drivers the illusion that the vehicle is entirely self-driving, which inadvertently encourages distracted driving – leading to accidents and fatalities. Furthermore, Autopilot sometimes fails to recognise other vehicles and stationary objects, resulting in accidents as the vehicle is unable to stop when required. According to Boudette’s (2021) article which detailed a fatal Tesla Autopilot accident, a driver’s lapse in attention resulted in a fatal crash with the car in front. As such, it is paramount to have safeguards in place to ensure that drivers stay attentive, should they be required to reclaim manual control as situations arise (Casner et al., 2016). 

 

Poor visibility caused by weather conditions and dirty cameras will also affect Autopilot’s operational capabilities. As Autopilot employs 8 external cameras to perceive the surrounding environment, sub-par weather conditions like heavy rain or snow, that may result in cameras and sensors being covered or dirtied, would heavily limit the navigation capabilities or even render the navigation ability useless. According to Iqtidar Ali’s (2019) article on Tesla’s Smart Summon function during light snowfall, Autopilot was only able to navigate to its owner under snowy weather conditions at a speed of 1 mph because its Smart Summon detected the weather conditions to be unideal. In more severe conditions that fully cover the external cameras, the Smart Summon feature cannot be used and the vehicle would remain stationary.

 

Another limitation of Autopilot is that it is heavily dependent on updated data in its Global Positioning System (GPS) to navigate accurately and safely. Inaccurate and outdated map data will result in incidents where Autopilot drives through new stop lights and stop signs not reflected in its GPS. According to Jotti Mann (2023)​, a Tesla Model 3 in Full Self-Driving mode “did not slow down before it hit water on the road and crashed into a pond”. The road had a temporary "flooded" sign on the side of the road alerting drivers to the water ahead, which Autopilot failed to capture and account for, as it was not reflected in its GPS.

 

Though Autopilot has limitations which could cause fatalities if not addressed properly, one must consider that there is prospective use in reducing the workload of a driver because less focus is needed to control the vehicle with Autopilot’s automation features like TACC, Autosteer, and Navigate on Autopilot. An experiment done by Transportation Research Group in the University of Southampton showed that Autopilot could reduce the workload of a driver to overall low levels of between 10% to 43% (variable environment being relatively empty highways to busy city rings) (Heikoop, Winter, Arem, & Stanton, 2019).

             

In conclusion, Autopilot should be treated as an advanced driving aid rather than an autonomous driving system. The functionalities of Autopilot serve to enhance safe driving and assist drivers but should not instill an unwarranted sense of confidence. In short, even with Autopilot, drivers still need to remain alert to their surroundings and be prepared to take over the wheel at any time. That said, continuous advancements in technology, such as better map data and sensor reliability, will also mitigate its limitations and weaknesses. Ultimately, the objective is to leverage the benefits of automation while ensuring safety on the road.

 

 

References

Ali, I. (2019). Watch Tesla Model 3 performing Smart Summon during light snowfall. From https://www.xautoworld.com/tesla/model3-smart-summon-snowing/.

Armstrong, K. (2023). Tesla Pioneers the Future: How Autonomous Cars Will Transform Transportation.
https://www.notateslaapp.com/tesla-reference/1353/tesla-pioneers-the-future-how-electric-and-autonomous-cars-will-transform-car-ownership-and-transportation.

Boudette, N. E. (2021). ‘It Happened So Fast’: Inside a Fatal Tesla Autopilot Accident.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/17/business/tesla-autopilot-accident.html.

Heikoop, D. D., Winter, J. C., Arem, B. v., & Stanton, N. A. (2019). Acclimatizing to automation: Driver workload and stress during partially automated car following in real traffic.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S136984781830500X.

Mann, J. (2023). A Tesla owner said his Model 3 in Full Self-Driving mode didn't slow down before it hit water on the road and crashed into a pond.
https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/news/a-tesla-owner-said-his-model-3-in-full-self-driving-mode-didnt-slow-down-before-it-hit-water-on-the-road-and-crashed-into-a-pond/articleshow/103106256.cms.

Stephen M. Casner, Edwin L. Hutchins, & Don Norman (2016). The Challenges of Partially Automated Driving. Communications of the ACM.
https://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2016/5/201592-the-challenges-of-partially-automated-driving/fulltext.

Tesla. (n.d). Autopilot. https://www.tesla.com/support/autopilot.

Module Reflection

 

Module learning

As mentioned in my self-introduction, my weakness is public speaking, and my goal is to be a confident speaker. To me, public speaking is an ordeal to me, it involves taking a few steps out of my comfort zone. However, after attending this module, I could say that I have evolved into a relatively confident speaker through activities like oral presentation and reading out loud from the screen to my classmates. All these slowly built up my confidence level. Other than confidence, some other skills that I took away was the articulation of voice and the posture of speaking.

Before taking this module, I had minimal exposure to writing reports. This module served as a refresher as well as a foundation for my future language modules. One of the most notable takeaways in this module is the use of citation. Information is readily available online but when we retrieve them, we do not know how to properly credit them. Throughout this module, the prof had been emphasizing the importance of citing the source.

The challenge I faced in this module was the stringent datelines given for assignments like reader response and technical report on top of tutorial assignments from other modules. These assignments were tedious and required a meticulous amount of research and understanding before an initial draft. Especially for technical report, which involved us coming up with a proposed solution. Nonetheless, completing this module gave me a huge sense of accomplishment.

Project learning

In addition to the background information we needed to obtain prior to drafting the report, communication with my teammates was the hardest part. Everyone has their own opinions and ideas they wanted to write. Since we delegated each member to do a portion of the report, the grammar and flow of the report was not consistent. Furthermore, I had to consistently ask my teammates to upload their part so that I could edit and paraphrase them. However, they have their own commitments and that gave me a very hard time. I also had reservations in making changes as some might misunderstand what I am doing. On a brighter note, the presentation portion of the report was relatively enjoyable. Everyone was clear on what pointers they should present and that made the whole presentation very smooth. We rehearsed on Zoom Meeting twice however, physically presenting in front of all my classmates was a different ball game. It involved techniques like posture and articulation.

Overall, I had a very positive experience and I hoped I could fully utilize what I have learnt in my future workplace.

My grades for participation

Throughout the course, I believe I have demonstrated a consistent commitment to active and engaged participation, which I believe merits an Excellent grade. Punctuality and preparedness have been paramount in my approach to each class, ensuring that I am always ready to contribute meaningfully. Furthermore, I have not skipped a single classes.

Even as an introvert, I made a conscious effort to step out of my comfort zone during the initial weeks when everyone was still getting to know each other. In those moments, I took the initiative to start conversations with my more reserved groupmates. I also listened attentively whenever others speak or present. I believe that showing this fundamental respect is crucial in creating a positive learning atmosphere.

Recognizing the value of constructive feedback, I have made it a point to provide meaningful insights to my peers. By doing so, I aim to help them gain a better understanding of both their strengths and areas for improvement. I see this as a collaborative effort to enhance the overall learning experience for everyone. Moreover, I strive to integrate the knowledge and feedbacks gained in class into practical situations whenever possible.

In summary, my consistent attendance, active participation, and dedication to respectful engagement, along with my willingness to step out of my comfort zone, contribute to what I believe is a deserving case for an Excellent grade in participation.