Tesla Says Its Vision AI Software Can Deploy Airbags Prior to Impact
Key takeaways
- Using its external cameras, the system can reportedly see when a crash is about to happen and start prepping the airbags a fraction of a second sooner.
- In the event of a car crash, every millisecond counts.
- The new capability added to Tesla Vision will reportedly allow it to “watch” for a crash.
Why this matters: an automotive development that could shape industry direction or buying decisions.
Using its external cameras, the system can reportedly see when a crash is about to happen and start prepping the airbags a fraction of a second sooner.
In the event of a car crash, every millisecond counts. Simply put, the more time you have to react, the better your chances are of reducing the risk of serious injury. Now, through an update to Tesla Vision, the automaker’s suite of exterior cameras, Tesla is aiming to have its cars do exactly that: respond to a crash even earlier by deploying its airbags and other safety measures just prior to the moment of impact.
The new capability added to Tesla Vision will reportedly allow it to “watch” for a crash. Tesla says the system will be able to identify when the car will make contact as well as the potential severity of the crash, and then it will pass that information along to the airbag controller so it can start deploying the airbags and pre-tensioning the seatbelts. The entire process apparently takes as little as 70 milliseconds.