Tesla's ongoing camera sensor upgrades raise questions about the reliability of their Full Self-Driving promises. The recent discovery of a new sensor model, IMX00N, in Tesla's firmware suggests a potential camera change in new vehicles. This development adds to the growing concerns that Tesla is consistently revising its self-driving capabilities, potentially leaving some owners with outdated hardware.
Longtime Tesla hacker @greentheonly uncovered this information, highlighting Tesla's tendency to introduce unannounced features and hardware changes. The IMX00N sensor is expected to replace or enhance the Sony IMX963 sensors in Hardware 4.0 vehicles, which themselves replaced the older 1.2-megapixel sensors in Hardware 3 cars just a few years ago.
While the specifications of the IMX00N sensor are not yet known, it could be a custom Tesla-specific model or a placeholder for a new sensor. The comparison table provided shows the significant improvements in sensor resolution, color filter array, dynamic range, and data interface between Hardware 3 and 4.
However, there are concerns about Tesla's approach to autonomous driving hardware updates. The company has promised since 2016 that its vehicles have the necessary hardware for 'Full Self-Driving,' but it has yet to deliver on this promise. CEO Elon Musk's statements have been contradictory, and Tesla has not offered the promised hardware retrofits.
The introduction of new hardware often leads to a reduction in software support for previous hardware, raising questions about the system's reliability. If the current cameras in Hardware 4 are sufficient for Level 4 autonomy, why is Tesla investing in a new sensor? The answer may lie in the limitations of current sensors, such as glare handling or low-light performance.
The article concludes by questioning whether Tesla will update all vehicles to support Level 4 autonomy, given its history of promises and failures. The author expresses skepticism about Tesla's ability to deliver on its self-driving promises, leaving readers with a sense of uncertainty about the future of Tesla's autonomous driving capabilities.
