Photo: Tesla
We’ve already discovered that Tesla is gearing up for a major sensor upgrade this month, and now we have more information about this. Tesla will replace the three front-facing cameras with a stereo setup while also preparing major changes in other areas.
The launch of Tesla’s Autopilot HW4 sensor suite is imminent, based on documents filed with the FCC last year. If you recall, Tesla filed to extend until February a confidentiality agreement with the FCC regarding the use of an HD radar unit. The document mentions that the new sensor suite will be marketed from “mid-January,” although we haven’t seen any vehicle yet using the new setup. Based on this document, we’re fairly certain that the new Tesla HW4 sensor suite will feature a high-definition radar, a notable change from the current “vision-only” approach.
A camouflaged Tesla Model 3 prototype was spotted in December in Santa Cruz, California, with intriguing modifications at the front. The pictures did not provide a clear view of the new sensors, although the headlights appeared to feature a strange black dot, which many believed to be a camera. Now, thanks to Tesla enthusiast Chris Zheng, we have detailed information about the camera setup in the HW4 sensor suite. The new leaks don’t mention any headlight camera, so we can assume that was just an optical illusion.
The document shared by Chris Zheng on Twitter confirms that the front-facing camera will ditch the three-camera setup for a dual-camera sensor. Tesla could do that because the new cameras have higher resolution and a wider field of view, thus making the third camera redundant. This confirms previous rumors that Tesla will replace the aging 1.2-megapixel cameras with 5-megapixel parts. The same leak shows that the front-facing cameras now have a fan and possibly a heater as well, so fogging should not be an issue anymore. The fan could also help cool the parts in direct sunlight.
The B-pillar cameras also get heating devices to prevent fogging, which could otherwise become an issue in cold weather. The shape of the camera visor has also changed to be more rounded, according to the images included in the document. The heating function is not yet guaranteed because the document also mentions that the heating function will be evaluated “after project feedback.” Fingers crossed that Tesla would not skimp on that, as it did on the ultrasonic sensors.
With eight high-resolution cameras pumping data to the Autopilot computer, it is fair to assume that HW4 Autopilot will come with an important upgrade in terms of processing power. This raises serious questions about whether Tesla cars sold until now with HW3 will still be compatible with FSD in the future. Tesla previously promised that all its vehicles have “all the needed hardware” to become self-driving, which turned out to be a lie. The future high-definition radar included with the HW4 suite is certainly something that older HW3 cars don’t have and would probably need to unlock self-driving in the future.
A camouflaged Tesla Model 3 prototype was spotted in December in Santa Cruz, California, with intriguing modifications at the front. The pictures did not provide a clear view of the new sensors, although the headlights appeared to feature a strange black dot, which many believed to be a camera. Now, thanks to Tesla enthusiast Chris Zheng, we have detailed information about the camera setup in the HW4 sensor suite. The new leaks don’t mention any headlight camera, so we can assume that was just an optical illusion.
The document shared by Chris Zheng on Twitter confirms that the front-facing camera will ditch the three-camera setup for a dual-camera sensor. Tesla could do that because the new cameras have higher resolution and a wider field of view, thus making the third camera redundant. This confirms previous rumors that Tesla will replace the aging 1.2-megapixel cameras with 5-megapixel parts. The same leak shows that the front-facing cameras now have a fan and possibly a heater as well, so fogging should not be an issue anymore. The fan could also help cool the parts in direct sunlight.
The B-pillar cameras also get heating devices to prevent fogging, which could otherwise become an issue in cold weather. The shape of the camera visor has also changed to be more rounded, according to the images included in the document. The heating function is not yet guaranteed because the document also mentions that the heating function will be evaluated “after project feedback.” Fingers crossed that Tesla would not skimp on that, as it did on the ultrasonic sensors.
With eight high-resolution cameras pumping data to the Autopilot computer, it is fair to assume that HW4 Autopilot will come with an important upgrade in terms of processing power. This raises serious questions about whether Tesla cars sold until now with HW3 will still be compatible with FSD in the future. Tesla previously promised that all its vehicles have “all the needed hardware” to become self-driving, which turned out to be a lie. The future high-definition radar included with the HW4 suite is certainly something that older HW3 cars don’t have and would probably need to unlock self-driving in the future.
The Autopilot HW 4.0 front camera will be reduced to two Cz of the significant increase in both pixel density and field of view. pic.twitter.com/vYXVYZzSln
— Chris Zheng (@ChrisZheng001) January 13, 2023
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