The Background and Early Development of FSD
Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) program represents a significant strategic move in the autonomous driving field. In the early years, from 2014 to 2016, Tesla vehicles were equipped with the Autopilot HW1.0 computing platform, powered by the Mobileye EyeQ3 chip. This system included one front-facing camera, one millimeter-wave radar, and 12 ultrasonic sensors, enabling basic driver assistance features such as adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping.
However, as Mobileye's product development pace failed to meet Tesla's growing needs, the company embarked on developing its own solution. From 2016 to 2019, Tesla adopted the Autopilot HW2.0 and later HW2.5, both based on NVIDIA's Drive PX2A computing platform. These systems featured eight cameras, one millimeter-wave radar, and 12 ultrasonic sensors.
In 2017, Tesla began developing its own main control chip, particularly focusing on the neural network algorithms and AI processing units. By April 2019, the Autopilot HW3.0 platform was introduced, featuring Tesla's custom-designed FSD chip. This chip boasts an impressive 6 billion transistors and can perform 144 trillion operations per second, processing 2,300 frames per second, providing a robust hardware foundation for Tesla's Full Self-Driving capabilities.
Iterations and Functional Advancements of FSD Beta
- 2020 - 2021
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October 2020: Tesla rolled out the first FSD Beta to select owners, marking the beginning of real-world testing and optimization for Full Self-Driving on public roads.
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July 10, 2021: Tesla released FSD Beta V9 to approximately 2,000 users in the U.S. This version adopted a vision-only approach to autonomous driving, eliminating reliance on radar or other sensors and using cameras exclusively to perceive the environment. This milestone significantly raised the requirements for environmental sensing and data processing in Tesla's autonomous driving technology.
- 2021 - 2022
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December 13, 2021: Tesla launched FSD Beta version 10.6.1, which improved object detection accuracy and speed. It also addressed some previous issues, allowing vehicles to more precisely identify various road objects like cars, pedestrians, and obstacles, leading to better decision-making and enhanced safety and reliability in autonomous driving.
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August 21, 2022: Tesla updated its FSD software to Beta version 10.69, further refining performance and stability. This version improved handling of complex road conditions and traffic scenarios.
- 2023
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May 11, 2023: Tesla rolled out FSD Beta V11.4.1 to North American users. This update included significant architectural changes, optimizing the algorithms and models for autonomous driving. It enhanced the system's overall performance and response time, delivering more robust self-driving capabilities across various scenarios.
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November 25, 2023: Tesla announced the internal release of FSD V12 to its employees. For the first time, this version eliminated traditional code and relied entirely on neural networks for vehicle control, marking a major breakthrough in Tesla's autonomous driving technology. This shift enabled smarter, more precise decision-making and control in autonomous driving.
Significant Developments in FSD for 2024
- FSD Feature Optimization and Version Updates
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July 2024: Tesla rolled out FSD version 12.4.2 to beta testers, addressing issues such as unnecessary lane changes when FSD is engaged, slowing down for non-existent obstacles, unwarranted low-speed driving, and difficulties reading flashing yellow or red lights. However, some challenges remain, such as hesitancy in steering around road potholes and false alerts triggered by drivers squinting due to direct sunlight.
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July 28, 2024: Tesla began releasing the FSD (Supervised) V12.5.1 update to users, which introduced several key improvements.
- Features and Functions of FSD (Supervised) V12.5.1
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Integrated Driving Capabilities: This version integrates city and highway driving functions, enabling smoother transitions between different driving environments. The system is now better equipped to handle various complex traffic conditions, offering a more seamless autonomous driving experience.
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More Natural Lane Changes: It introduced earlier and smoother lane changes, making the process safer and reducing disruptions to other vehicles, thereby improving overall traffic flow and efficiency.
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Support for New Models: For the first time, FSD now supports the Cybertruck, expanding the range of vehicles utilizing Tesla's advanced autonomous driving features and offering Cybertruck owners enhanced driving capabilities.
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Sunglass Detection: Drivers are now allowed to wear sunglasses while using FSD assistance without receiving alerts to "pay attention," a feature that significantly improves user convenience and comfort.
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True Smart Summon: Elon Musk announced that the "Actual Smart Summon" (ASS) feature will be included in the FSD 12.5.x release. Although this feature is developed independently from FSD, it will be bundled with the update, providing users with an even more convenient way to summon their vehicles.
