Tesla

In a monumental step toward self-driving cars, Tesla Motors has just released an autopilot software upgrade for its line of Model S sedans—both new ones and already purchased. With the new software, the Model S electric vehicles will be the first commercial cars on the road with autonomous driving capabilities.

"We think of it sort of as a public beta," said CEO Elon Musk at today's press conference, "I think it is going to be quite a profound experience for people when they use it."

The new software, which can be downloaded into the vehicle overnight, uses the Model S's existing computers and suite of sensors. Autopilot can take the wheel when needed both on highways and when parallel parking. "But we want people to be quite careful with the autopilot," says Musk, who insists that drivers should still keep their "hands on the wheel" while using the car's self-driving modes—just in case.

"We think of it sort of as a public beta."

Tesla Motors

When the driver activates the Model S's autopilot mode on the highway, the car turns on what is essentially a traffic-conscious cruise control that keeps you in your lane. The electric vehicle's software combines data from ultrasonic sensors that observe a 16-foot perimeter around the car, a traffic sign-reading and lane-detecting forward camera, high resolution GPS, and forward radar that can "see though fog, rain, snow, and dust," Musk says.

Turn on the car's turn signal and the autopilot will also automatically change lanes for the driver when safe to do so. As for parallel parking, not only will the car's sensors sweep the streets to detect for open spots, but when one is found, the aptly named Autopark system will control steering and speed to wiggle into the spot for you.

Musk is clear that the software package is a beta version, and runs into trouble when highway lane markings are unclear or missing—as is the case on many Los Angles freeways. When this happens, the car will hand over control to its high-resolution GPS. "In order for it to work really well you'll want clear markers on the road, or very dense traffic. In slow moving, dense traffic it works really well," he says.

"Eventually there won't be wheels—you'll just jump in the car and it'll take you somewhere."

Tesla Motors

Luckily, "the system learns over time," Musk adds. Autopilot data from each Model S will be uploaded into a central network, which will adjust the software's instructions and performance to continually improve. For example, he explains, you might "notice one week it won't steer right going across a weird freeway off ramp, but the next week it does." Other improvements in the new Model S software package include a side collision warning. If you forget to check your blind spot when merging on the freeway, " or if you attempt to turn into a highway barrier, you'll feel increased resistance," Musk says.

You can watch a leaked video uploaded to YouTube last night of the autopilot feature in action, below:

So what's next? This June, Musk told the company's shareholders that he believes fully autonomous Model S's could hit the road as soon as 2018. And today Musk further outlined that vision, "eventually there won't be [steering] wheels—you'll just jump in the car and you'll tell it to take you somewhere."

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