Connect with us

News

Tesla’s self-driving patent application hints at faster collision response

(Photo: Tesla)

Published

on

A recently published Tesla patent application titled “Autonomous Driving System Emergency Signaling” describes a method of quickly communicating emergency information from vehicle sensors feeding into autonomous driving software. The new communication method will improve Autopilot’s response in emergency situations, thereby reducing the probability of accidents.

Tesla’s invention takes latency in data transmission into account as an area of improvement. In general, critical information can get stuck waiting to be processed by a computer after non-critical information that’s ahead of it. Under Tesla’s US Patent Application No. 2019/0138018, critical emergency situations detected by sensors are moved to the front of the line for priority processing and response. Tesla’s invention achieves this using two main approaches.

First, the transmission from sensors that detect an emergency sends their findings to the main computer at a higher transmit power than other messages. Other signals at lower power transmissions are then interpreted as ‘background noise’ compared to the emergency signal. This process is described in the patent application as follows:

When an autonomous driving emergency event is detected by an autonomous driving sensor…the [sensor] transmits the autonomous driving emergency message in a non-assigned time slot at a higher transmit power level than a transmit power level of an autonomous driving sensor…Because the autonomous driving emergency message is transmitted at a higher power level than the transmission from the autonomous driving sensor, the transmission from the autonomous driving sensor may be treated as background noise by the autonomous driving controller to thereby receive and decode of the autonomous driving emergency message.

In a second approach, the autonomous driving sensors that encounter an emergency message are programmed to stop sending signals, and the vehicle’s main computer will direct them to resume communications after receiving the emergency message. This process is described in the patent as follows:

Advertisement

…if an emergency transmission is detected…the autonomous driving sensor ceases transmitting autonomous driving data. Such cessation may continue for one assigned time slot, for more than one assigned slots, and/or until the autonomous driving sensor receives direction from the autonomous driving controller to continue transmitting autonomous driving data or receives a new…bus time slot assignment from the autonomous driving controller. During this time period…the autonomous driving sensor continues to collect and buffer autonomous driving data.

Several variations of achieving these two main concepts are also described in the application and invention claims, including managing the specifics of the transmit power level differences and reassigning time slots for sensors to communicate on the data bus. Overall, this recent patent application is yet another indicator of Tesla’s continued improvement of its autonomous driving capabilities.

Tesla’s advances in the autonomous driving arena have been touted by CEO Elon Musk and industry experts alike. ARK Invest analyst James Wang recently estimated that the all-electric car maker’s decision to develop its Full Self-Driving computer chip in-house put the company four years ahead of the competition. Musk, for his part, declared the chip the best in the world at Tesla’s Investor Autonomy Day. “It seems improbable. How could it be that Tesla, who has never designed a chip before, would design the best chip in the world? But that is objectively what has occurred,” Elon touted.

While Tesla has yet to roll out the total capabilities of its Full Self-Driving suite, Musk has said on several occasions that the software will be “feature complete” by the end of 2019 with only regulatory hurdles left for full release.

Advertisement

Accidental computer geek, fascinated by most history and the multiplanetary future on its way. Quite keen on the democratization of space. | It's pronounced day-sha, but I answer to almost any variation thereof.

Advertisement
Comments

News

X launches Community Notes feature to bridge diverse perspectives

X’s new pilot expands Community Notes by spotlighting posts liked across ideological divides. Can social media finally bring people together?

Published

on

x-community-notes-feature-perspectives
(Credit: Community Notes/X)

X’s Community Notes pilot seeks to bridge perspectives by introducing an experimental feature to identify posts liked by diverse viewpoints. Announced by Elon Musk’s X, the initiative builds on the success of Community Notes, which highlights agreement among users who typically disagree.

Starting June 05, a select group of Community Notes contributors, representing a broad spectrum of perspectives, will encounter a new callout within the platform. “The callout shows based on early and limited Like signals on the post,” X explained.

Contributors can rate and provide feedback on these posts, aiding the development of an open-source algorithm to identify content that resonates across differing viewpoints. The pilot aims to uncover ideas, insights, and opinions that foster unity, addressing the often-divided nature of online discourse.

“People often feel the world is divided, yet Community Notes shows people can agree, even on contentious topics,” X noted. The new feature builds on years of user requests to extend Community Notes’ approach to posts, recognizing those liked by people who would normally disagree. By highlighting such content, X hopes to motivate users to share ideas that resonate broadly, potentially driving meaningful dialogue.

Advertisement

The pilot follows X’s transparent development process, similar to how Community Notes was refined. “Following the path we used to develop Community Notes, we’re building in public with a small pilot so that this concept can be shaped by the people,” X stated. The initiative will rely on contributor feedback to iterate and refine the algorithm, ensuring it effectively identifies posts that bridge perspectives.

This experimental feature underscores X’s commitment to fostering constructive online conversations. By leveraging early “Like” signals and contributor input, X aims to amplify content that transcends ideological divides.

“Ultimately, it could help move the world forward in ways that the people want,” X added, emphasizing the potential for this tool to promote unity and understanding.

As X rolls out this pilot, the platform invites its community to shape its evolution, much like the iterative process that has made Community Notes a hallmark of collaborative fact-checking. The initiative could redefine how social media platforms highlight shared values, paving the way for more inclusive and impactful discussions.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Elon Musk

X account with 184 followers inadvertently saves US space program amid Musk-Trump row

Needless to say, the X user has far more than 184 followers today after his level-headed feat.

Published

on

elon-musk-europe-vs-us-relations
Joel Kowsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

An X user with 184 followers has become the unlikely hero of the United States’ space program by effectively de-escalating a row between SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump on social media.

Needless to say, the X user has far more than 184 followers today after his level-headed feat.

A Near Fall

During Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s fallout last week, the U.S. President stated in a post on Truth Social that a good way for the United States government to save money would be to terminate subsidies and contracts from the CEO’s companies. Musk responded to Trump’s post by stating that SpaceX will start decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately. 

Musk’s comment was received with shock among the space community, partly because the U.S. space program is currently reliant on SpaceX to send supplies and astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). Without Dragon, the United States will likely have to utilize Russia’s Soyuz for the same services—at a significantly higher price.

X User to the Rescue

It was evident among X users that Musk’s comments about Dragon being decommissioned were posted while emotions were high. It was then no surprise that an X account with 184 followers, @Fab25june, commented on Musk’s post, urging the CEO to rethink his decision. “This is a shame this back and forth. You are both better than this. Cool off and take a step back for a couple days,” the X user wrote in a reply.

Advertisement

Much to the social media platform’s surprise, Musk responded to the user. Even more surprising, the CEO stated that SpaceX would not be decommissioning Dragon after all. “Good advice. Ok, we won’t decommission Dragon,” Musk wrote in a post on X.

Not Planned, But Welcomed

The X user’s comment and Musk’s response were received extremely well by social media users, many of whom noted that @Fab25june’s X comment effectively saved the U.S. space program. In a follow-up comment, the X user, who has over 9,100 followers as of writing, stated that he did not really plan on being a mediator between Musk and Trump. 

“Elon Musk replied to me. Somehow, I became the accidental peace broker between two billionaires. I didn’t plan this. I was just being me. Two great minds can do wonders. Sometimes, all it takes is a breather. Grateful for every like, DM, and new follow. Life’s weird. The internet’s weirder. Let’s ride. (Manifesting peace… and maybe a Model Y.)” the X user wrote.

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Tesla tops Cathie Wood’s stock picks, predicts $2,600 surge

Tesla’s future lies beyond cars—with robotaxis, humanoid bots & AI-driven factories. Cathie Wood predicts a 9x surge in 5 years.

Published

on

Cathie Wood shared that Tesla is her top stock pick. During Steven Bartlett’s podcast “The Diary Of A CEO,” the Ark Invest founder highlighted Tesla’s innovative edge, citing its convergence of robotics, energy storage, and AI.

“Because think about it. It is a convergence among three of our major platforms. So, robots, energy storage, AI,” Wood said of Tesla. She emphasized the company’s potential beyond its current offerings, particularly with its Optimus robots.

“And it’s not stopping with robotaxis; there’s a story beyond that with humanoid robots, and our $2,600 number has nothing for humanoid robots. We just thought it’d be an investment, period,” she added.

In June 2024, Ark Invest issued a $2,600 price target for Tesla, which Wood reaffirmed in a March Bloomberg interview, projecting the stock to reach this level within five years. She told Bartlett that Tesla’s Optimus robots would drive productivity gains and create new revenue streams.

Advertisement

Elon Musk echoed Wood’s optimism in a CNBC interview last month.

“We expect to have thousands of Optimus robots working in Tesla factories by the end of this year, beginning this fall. And we expect to scale Optimus up faster than any product, I think, in history to get to millions of units per year as soon as possible,” Musk said.

Tesla’s stock has faced volatility lately, hitting a peak closing price of $479 in December after President Donald Trump’s election win. However, Musk’s involvement with the White House DOGE office triggered protests and boycotts, contributing to a stock decline of over 40% from mid-December highs by March.

The volatility in Tesla stock alarmed investors, who urged Musk to refocus on the company. In a May earnings call, Musk responded, stating he would be “scaling down his involvement with DOGE to focus on Tesla.” Through it all, Cathie Wood and Ark Invest maintained their faith in Tesla. Wood, in particular, predicted that the “brand damage” Tesla experienced earlier this year would not be long term.

Despite recent fluctuations, Wood’s confidence in Tesla underscores its potential to redefine industries through AI and robotics. As Musk shifts his focus back to Tesla, the company’s advancements in Optimus and other innovations could drive it toward Wood’s ambitious $2,600 target, positioning Tesla as a leader in the evolving tech landscape.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending