Tesla Model 3, comes with a driver facing camera

[NumLock21]

When Elon Musk, revealed the Tesla Model 3 not to long ago, some of the selected few got a chance to take the car for a test drive. One thing that wasn't talked about was the small camera that's built into the mount of the rear view mirror. Tesla says the camera is for use with their autopilot technology, as well as their Tesla network, where,

Quote

owners will be able to autonomously send their cars on Tesla’s ride-sharing network in order to taxi people around autonomously and the owners and Tesla will share the revenue from this service.

It now looks like several Model 3 features are geared toward working seamlessly with the network, like the lack of a key and instead the use of the app to unlock the car, and now a camera in the cabin to monitor occupancy, which could facilitate the operation of the service while alleviating concerns that the owners might have with having strangers in their cars.

For some this can be a privacy concern, but researchers at MIT,

Quote

addressed. The collected data was kept on secure servers and people could never need to actually watch the footage. It could simply generate logs based on computer vision.

So far only the Model 3 has a driver facing camera, while it's absent in their more premium models like the Model S and Model X. As of now, there is no full autonomous support, but it might in the future.

Quote

 

Level Zero - The full-time performance by the human driver of all aspects of the dynamic driving task, even when enhanced by warning or intervention systems

Level One – A small amount of control is accomplished by the system such as adaptive braking if a car gets too close

Level Two – The system can control the speed and direction of the car allowing the driver to take their hands off temporarily, but they have to monitor the road at all times and be ready to take over

Level Three – The driver does not have to monitor the system at all times in some specific cases like on highways but must be ready to resume control if the system requests

Level Four – The system can cope will all situations automatically within defined use but it may not be able to cope will all weather or road conditions. System will rely on high definition mapping

Level Five – Full automation. System can cope with all weather, traffic and lighting conditions. It can go anywhere, at any time in any conditions

 

 

https://electrek.co/2017/08/01/tesla-model-3-driver-facing-camera-autopilot-tesla-network/

https://www.slashgear.com/tesla-model-3-has-a-secret-camera-to-watch-the-driver-02493776/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4756740/Tesla-Model-3-secret-camera-installed.html

 

[Oshino Shinobu]

I really hope it doesn't allow people to take selfies. 

[captain cactus]

Yeah, that's not going to be an issue at aaaaaalllllllll /s

 

Seriously. Now people know about it, someone is going to try to get to it in a non-legal matter. I'd rather not thank you.

[RadiatingLight]

pretty useful if used right.

could tell if a driver is falling asleep, if paying attention, etc.

[Oshino Shinobu]

1 minute ago, lots of unexplainable lag said:

Yeah, that's not going to be an issue at aaaaaalllllllll /s

 

Seriously. Now people know about it, someone is going to try to get to it in a non-legal matter. I'd rather not thank you.

To be honest, in a car that has the ability to completely control its speed, steering and braking through computers, someone fiddling with the driver facing camera is going to be one of my lesser concerns in regards to someone messing with the electronics. 

[JakeNTech]

I can see why it might be useful, if you can prove stuff with insurance claims like a dash cam, but I can also see how it might not be the best thing to have....

[NumLock21]

4 minutes ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

I really hope it doesn't allow people to take selfies. 

Or stand in front of a actual speed camera and hope the next car coming by is driving over the limit.

 

[Oshino Shinobu]

1 minute ago, fixitnow said:

I can see why it might be useful, if you can prove stuff with insurance claims like a dash cam, but I can also see how it might not be the best thing to have....

I think the benefits can far, far outweigh any problems with it. It could be used to prevent people from texting and driving, detect if someone is sleeping, insurance claims (as you mentioned), potentially an additional level of security, requiring face recognition to start the car or just used as a way to automatically move the seat, steeringwheel, set the air conditioning and such based on a profile linked to the driver's face. Any problems it could pose are really already posed by front facing cameras on phones and nobody really complains about those. 

[Yoinkerman]

1.  A piece of tape defeats it

2. If I drop my phone in the lake I can't drive home?  Who is designing this crap?

[NumLock21]

 

[JakeNTech]

Just now, Oshino Shinobu said:

I think the benefits can far, far outweigh any problems with it. It could be used to prevent people from texting and driving, detect if someone is sleeping, insurance claims (as you mentioned), potentially an additional level of security, requiring face recognition to start the car or just used as a way to automatically move the seat, steeringwheel, set the air conditioning and such based on a profile linked to the driver's face. Any problems it could pose are really already posed by front facing cameras on phones and nobody really complains about those. 

Yeah the only two real issue I can think of is that some people may have privacy concerns about it and that how well does it tell its the same person after a hair cut for example, although I imagine thats easier then I think.  Personally I think its a great idea

[handymanshandle]

Put black tape over the camera and then you're probably fine.

[Jito463]

Yeah, I'd cover it with tape or completely unplug it.  I nearly freaked out when I noticed a microphone sticking out of the headliner in my pickup, until I remembered that I recently had a new stereo installed that included bluetooth.  I'm the type of guy who physically unplugs the camera in my laptop and covers the one in my cell phone.

[DildorTheDecent]

16 minutes ago, Yoinkerman said:

2. If I drop my phone in the lake I can't drive home?  Who is designing this crap?

I think it might be Tesla. Not 100% though. 

 

Thought it was Honda at first. Or maybe the Germans like Audi or BMW. 

 

But I think now it defo is Tesla. 

[2FA]

36 minutes ago, Yoinkerman said:

2. If I drop my phone in the lake I can't drive home?  Who is designing this crap?

The Model 3 also comes with a backup RFID (or whatever wireless tech they use) card that you can keep in your wallet.

[dizmo]

I like the car, but hate how they've put all of the functions into the touch screen. There are some things that really need to have physical buttons. I think that aspect of this cars design is a generation or two too early.

[Qub3d]

2 minutes ago, dizmo said:

I like the car, but hate how they've put all of the functions into the touch screen. There are some things that really need to have physical buttons. I think that aspect of this cars design is a generation or two too early.

You can map any of the functions you commonly use to the bi-directional scroll wheels on the steering wheel. While you still don't have a binnacle, you aren't entirely without physical controls.

[dizmo]

5 minutes ago, Qub3d said:

You can map any of the functions you commonly use to the bi-directional scroll wheels on the steering wheel. While you still don't have a binnacle, you aren't entirely without physical controls.

It's not the same at all, and doesn't fix the issue.

[Qub3d]

Just now, dizmo said:

It's not the same at all, and doesn't fix the issue.

I personally would like to actually try it myself before making such a sweeping judgement, but to each his own.

[Tech Enthusiast]

I swear, people see issues in whatever could be considered a camera. No joke,...

 

If you are driving a tesla, you are doing it to be in a saver car. A car that can react to problems itself, even if you suck at driving.

This car can react if you fall asleap, look drunk, watch elsewhere, ect.

 

That is a big fat plus and not any form of "issue that is a concern for made up reason x".

[ZestyJalapeno]

1 hour ago, Yoinkerman said:

 

2. If I drop my phone in the lake I can't drive home?  Who is designing this crap?

If I drop my keys in the lake I can't drive home? What idiot has been designing cars the past 100 years? And as explained it comes with a back up key card should you actually drop your phone in this hypothetical lake of strawman arguments.

[Monkey Dust]

It's a car, it also has a lot of glass so anyone can look in. It's not a private space, in the sense the general public can freely see in, so I'm not sure how this could pose a privacy issue?

[Jito463]

53 minutes ago, Rattenmann said:

That is a big fat plus in my personal, and completely subjective opinion

I fixed that for you.

[ScratchCat]

1 hour ago, Dogeystyle said:

If I drop my keys in the lake I can't drive home? What idiot has been designing cars the past 100 years? And as explained it comes with a back up key card should you actually drop your phone in this hypothetical lake of strawman arguments.

I think a more appropriate argument is , what if my phone runs out of battery and haven't taken the wallet. A normal car requires you to have the keys to start it , this only requires the phone I think, so you are bound to have people who leave the RFID card at home and then are stranded.

[Maslofski]

if this has front, back and interior cameras then theyd make dashcams obsolete. very nice, since they wont add adittional targets for break ins