Recommended Reading: Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ Is 99.9% There, Just 1,000 Times Further To Go
By: Deepmap
Tags: Autonomous Cars, Autonomous Vehicles, Tesla

From time to time, DeepMap shares perspectives from industry experts on our blog. Today we recommend Brad Templeton’s commentary on Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” beta.

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In a 10/23/20 Forbes article, analyst Brad Templeton provides an overview of the recent “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) beta released by Tesla. Templeton writes: “The package is impressing many of these owners. A few have posted videos to Youtube showing the system in operation on city streets.”

Templeton presents a list of the “big questions” posed by the controversial beta release. Of particular relevance to DeepMap is the following:

→ How does Tesla’s decision to avoid LIDAR and detailed maps affect the quality of their system?

To answer this question, Templeton first addresses possible reasons why Tesla is avoiding the use of highly-detailed maps, citing cost and some limitations on driving areas.

As a counterpoint to the above, he writes: “Maps give you more data… and can help you be safer. Whatever you might believe about their cost, it is much too soon to think about doing without them, not something you want to do in the first cars to be deployed on the road.…”

Source: Forbes, 10/23/20

Templeton explains that “a car that drives without a map has to make its map on the fly as it drives. It has to figure out where all the curbs, lanes, signs and traffic controls are and the rules of each lane, and from that choose what lane to drive in and how to get there.”

He continues: “A car with a map relies on the experience of prior trips through that intersection, as well as human quality assurance of the understanding of the data. It still has to understand the scene, particularly in any area where the road has changed, and of course to understand all the moving things on the road, but it starts with a leg-up that makes it safer.”

From our vantage point, it’s clear that cost-effective and fresh high-definition maps are as critical to safety and comfort as seatbelts, airbags, and anti-lock braking systems have proven to be. At its essence, a full-coverage detailed map equates to having a great memory, a memory that can be shared with other cars on the road. All cars will be able to do some driving without a map, but the map makes them better and safer.

Note: Brad Templeton is an occasional advisor to DeepMap, as we find his perspectives to be informative and helpful.

About DeepMap: DeepMap is accelerating safe autonomy by providing the world’s best autonomous mapping and localization solutions. DeepMap delivers the technology necessary for self-driving vehicles to navigate in a complex and unpredictable environment. The company addresses three important elements: precise high-definition (HD) mapping, ultra-accurate real-time localization, and the serving infrastructure to support massive global scaling. DeepMap was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., with offices in Beijing and Guangzhou, China. Investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Accel, GSR Ventures, Generation, Goldman Sachs, NVIDIA, and Robert Bosch Venture Capital. For more information, see www.deepmap.ai.