“Tesla has unveiled a major development in the form of an in-house developed new AI chipset to power its FSD (Full Self-Driving) technology. Samsung is reportedly producing the new Tesla-designed chip in Austin, Texas. Tesla’s FSD system will rely on a network of cameras as well as forward-facing radar and ultrasonic sensors to keep tabs on a vehicle’s immediate surroundings. Major competitors are developing prototypes that employ LiDAR sensors as well as hyper-detailed 3D mapping, however, Tesla has not shown an interest towards such technologies. According to Tesla, its FSD system will be complete by the end of 2019 and claims it will be robust enough to not require driver attention by Q2 2020. However, we need to examine its attempt to jump directly to Level 5 autonomy with no geofencing, considering that Tesla has been involved in a few crashes while the company’s autopilot system was in use. Full autonomy still needs a lot of improvement in advanced software as well as hardware tools.” – Liz Lee