Tesla Autopilot update wants your hands on the wheel
Tech Industry
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Tesla says it is making it's autopilot safer with a software update.
The update limits drivers from keeping their hands off the wheel for extended periods.
If a driver doesn't respond to repeated warnings To put their hands back on the wheel, the autopilot system will disable itself.
The cars will now also rely more on radar to detect nearby objects.
Currently, the autopilot system uses a mix of radar, sonar, and imaging sensors But in the update Tesla says it can resolve enough detail from radar to not depend on other sensors.
Tesla Motors chief executive Elon Musk said that these changes would likely have prevented the fatal crash in May where Where a Tesla Model S did not detect a tractor trailer driving ahead of the car and failed to apply the brakes.
But drivers need to be aware that the radar system cannot detect every obstacle.
For example, Musk also said it may not brake for small deer The new software will be pushed out as an over the air download to existing Model S and Model X cars, over the next couple of weeks.
That's it for this tech news updates.
I'm Bridgette Carey, stay on top of the biggest stories at cnet.com/update.