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Autopilot buddy – what is that actually?

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Autopilot buddy – what is that actually?

The "Autopilot Buddy" is an accessory that fools the vehicle's system into pretending the driver has their hands on the wheel while driving, e.g. in a Tesla Model S or Model X. However, Tesla repeatedly emphasizes that the Autopilot is not yet mature and therefore requires constant human control if an accident is to be prevented. When the driver takes his hands off the steering wheel, the system reacts ex works with visual and acoustic warning signals. To prevent this, someone "particularly clever" the "Autopilot buddy" invented. The part is nothing more than a plastic clip that attaches to the steering wheel and simulates the grip of human hands. There are such or similar parts not only for Tesla, but also for other vehicles.

the autopilot buddy

Autopilot buddy – what is that actually?

But what the autopilot buddy cannot do: Focus on the road and intervene if the autopilot/system reacts incorrectly. It is logical that putting the safety of oneself and others in the simulated hands of an "Autopilot Buddy" or similar penny gadget is not a good idea. The invention will probably be bought primarily by people who sit drunk in the passenger seat and then blame the police stop on the autopilot.

Tesla's Autopilot - just a driver assistance system

The US authorities (NHTSA / National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) have banned the dangerous accessory since 19.06.2018/XNUMX/XNUMX because it allows to circumvent Tesla's security measures. The Autopilot Buddy works as a small magnetic plastic grip that attaches to the steering wheel of Tesla's Model S, Model X or Model 3 is attached. It simulates the presence of human hands on the steering wheel, thereby fooling the system, which is designed to prevent the driver from taking their hands off the wheel for long periods of time while driving when the autopilot is activated. The autopilot does not notice that the driver has no hand on the steering wheel and accordingly does not issue any acoustic or visual warnings. So the Autopilot Buddy is only intended to fool the system.

Tesla emphasizes that Autopilot is not a system to control the vehicle autonomously. Instead, the driver is always in charge of the vehicle and must have their hands on the wheel and be ready to brake!

https://youtu.be/wXjQtNVWrpY

Tesla and other manufacturers emphasize again and again that the autopilot is not yet mature and therefore requires constant human control. If the driver takes his hands completely off the steering wheel, even in an Audi, Mercedes, BMW etc. the system with optical and acoustic warning signals. Several accidents in the US, including fatalities, could be the reason for the ban on Autopilot Buddy, as these were found to involve drivers having their hands off the wheel for extended periods of time.

The autopilot (system at level 2) is a Tesla-optimized combination of well-known driver assistance systems such as ACC, lane change assistant, lane departure warning, traffic jam pilot and an intelligent parking aid. Unfortunately, the term "autopilot" was obviously chosen deliberately to give the impression that the system can control the vehicle autonomously. Other manufacturers, such as BMW or Mercedes, do not describe the system as specifically.

Can holders, ham, salami & Co. are prohibited

The wildest ideas of being able to use the assistance systems without hands on the wheel are circulating on the internet. Whether Active Lane Assist, Driving Assistant Plus, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) or any other type of lane departure warning system, the ideas to outwit them and letting the vehicles drive alone for long periods of time are diverse. A tangerine, a piece of ham, a raw bratwurst etc. should help, how Michael Knight in Knight Rider to be completely autonomous. And the safety systems in a Mercedes can actually be outwitted with a can. It is attached to the steering wheel and the pressure is enough to make the system think your hands are on the wheel. The systems of other manufacturers can be fooled in a similar way. Of course, all of these ideas prohibited by law and life-threatening!

We hope that you have received our information report on the topic / term Autopilot buddy (further designations / keywords are: Steering Wheel Counter Weight, autopilot weight, steering wheel booster, counterweight ring, steering wheel weight, steering wheel weight, counterweight ring, autopilot weight, steering wheel booster, steering wheel auxiliary driving implement, autopilot helper, autopilot helper) from the Autotuning category. Our goal is to create the largest German-speaking tuning lexicon (Tuning Wikipedia) and to explain tuning technical terms from A to Z easily and comprehensibly.

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About Thomas Wachsmuth

Thomas Wachsmuth - He has been an integral part of tuningblog.eu since 2013. His passion for cars is so intense that he invests every available penny in them. While he dreams of a BMW E31 850CSI and a Hennessey 6x6 Ford F-150, he currently drives a rather inconspicuous BMW 540i (G31/LCI). His collection of books, magazines and brochures on the subject of car tuning has now reached such proportions that he himself has become a walking reference work for the tuning scene.  More about Thomas

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