Tape Tricks Semi-Autonomous Tesla

The car thought the sign said 85 mph. It said 35 mph.

 

Autonomous vehicle technology has been advancing quickly, but many experts agree it’s not quite ready for primetime.

Bloomberg has reported that an experiment by McAfee Inc. sought to unveil whether Tesla’s semi-autonomous system Autopilot could be subject to confusion.

They placed a piece of tape across the 3 in a 35-mile-per hour speed limit sign.

The 2016 Tesla interpreted the 3 as an 8 and automatically accelerated.

Though no one was injured in the test, the researchers say it points to system vulnerabilities.

McAfee says that Tesla’s latest vehicles no longer depend on traffic sign recognition so the blind spot would only apply to older models.

According to Bloomberg, manufacturers are also integrating mapping technology that reflect the proper speed limit.

In a statement, Mobileye – the makers of the camera used inside the Tesla in question – pointed out that human drivers could likewise be fooled by the same kind of test.

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