Everyone remembers the Cybercab, right? The gold, self-driving, strangely-only-seats-two robotaxi thing Tesla first unveiled at their event back in October? Sure you do. One of the whole raison d’etres of the thing is that it drives itself. Or, at least it will drive itself, when it’s actually ready; so far we’ve only seen it trundling around a very amusement park-style path at the launch event. I think that’s why this recent video of a Cybercab being loaded into position for a display at the Petersen Automotive Museum is so interesting: because the Cybercab is being driven by what appears to be a human being.
So, how is it being driven, exactly, and why isn’t Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software doing this kind of grunt work? Let’s see what we can find out.
If you haven’t seen the video, here it is:
Behind the scenes look at Cybercab being loaded into the Peterson Automotive Museum pic.twitter.com/2uKwN2jTp7
— Nic Cruz Patane (@niccruzpatane) December 18, 2024
Look at that! Someone is driving that Cybercab! I do have a bit more detail about what is going on here, thanks to an anonymous source who happened to be on site and close by while all this was happening. From their reports, the car is being driven by a video game-type controller (what kind specifically he couldn’t tell) and that controller is plugged into the car via a physical wire, but they were told that a wireless option (via Bluetooth maybe?) is possible as well, and allows for out-of-the-car, remote-control driving as well, which makes sense.
The other interesting thing that makes sense when you think about it is that the driver isn’t just anyone; it’s someone who has been specially trained to drive that car via the game controller, which, as you can imagine, is the kind of thing that takes some practice.
The controls are quite different from regular car controls, of course, and there’s no feel of any kind through the controller. I suppose if you’re used to playing driving video games, it’s pretty much like that, except you have like 4,000 pounds of EV at your fingertips, and all the consequences of hitting things in the real world surrounding you.
As for why the cab’s alleged self-driving wasn’t used for this, that’s an interesting question. I think the sort of driving happening here – very low speed, following commands from someone outside the car, in a very unusual partially indoor environment – these all add up to some of the most challenging circumstances one could ask a self-driving system to operate in.
Think about it – not a common road-like environment, extreme precision required for getting wheels on those ramps, and it would need the ability to read human gestures and, yes, expressions to work. If the person guiding you suddenly goes pale and opens their eyes wide and starts gesturing frantically, we as humans immediately know we need to be careful and alert. A machine has no idea.
I suspect that no matter how advanced self-driving cars get, there will always need to be some sort of method for humans to control the cars, for situations like this or even more common and mundane ones, like following parking lot attendant directions when parking in a big, grassy field for a concert or something.
Will there one day be some sort of truncated driver’s license you can get that allows you to drive a self-driving car in those circumstances, at low speeds? Would a self-driving car automatically limit its top speed to like 15 mph when under remote control? Should it? Or should a person always have the option to take over driving with some sort of controller if desired?
There’s other interesting details here, like how the Cybercab seems to be using Tesla Model 3 rear performance brakes at the rear, and Tesla Model 3 normal rear brakes at the front! Also, without the wheel covers, you can see the silly gold stripe on the tires used to make them look lower-profile or whatever. I prefer the look with just the uncovered wheels!
We have so much to figure out when it comes to automated driving, and this little clip of video is a great reminder of just how much there is still yet to do.
I’m sorry, but my fraud meter is just pegged on this subject. This thing looks like a concept car mockup.
Next, I got in my car today, backed out while checking the rear camera, and again thought, there is absolutely no way under the sun that cameras can provide enough information for safe self driving. A glaring error in choice made by Musky basically means to me that everything relating to FSD is just plain fraud now. Not optimism, just fraud. Do I expect anything to come of it, absolutely not for the next four years.
I have a bridge for sale for anyone who actually thinks these will be self driving within the next millennia.
These cybercabs are being manufactured at a secret underground plant in Mexico with Gus Fring as Plant Manager and Walter White as Superintendent of Operations.
This seems appropriate since all of Tesla is being driven by what appears to be a human being.
You misunderstood “self-driving cab.” It’s a cab you drive yourself. Unlike all those cabs that require you to share the space with a driver, you get the whole car to yourself when you use it. And it’s different from a rental car because you
have toget to rent one every drive, instead of renting by the day.Innovation!
a car controlled by a video game controller. hmmm. where have we seen this before…maybe a submarine?? what could go wrong?
I’m fed up with this thing already, but I do welcome the return of whitewall (colorwall?) tires.
“different from”, not “different than”.
As a writer/editor, I’m close to filing that one under lost causes. Along with sneak peek/peak, head-up/heads-up display…
Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS)
In the 1960s, computer-controlled AS/RSs were introduced to warehouses. These systems stored and retrieved items, allowing workers to stay at their workstations.
Soo advanced! Now do I need to paint my own gold wall tires, or can I just order them now?
What nefarious things could possibly happen when someone inevitably figures out how to take over a robotaxi via a $12 bluetooth controller from Amazon?
It’s like how all of the Tesla robots were also remote controlled, or how the Amazon no checkout stores powered by AI were really just a bunch of people overseas working the cameras. It’s all bullshit to continue the grift!
To be fair to Amazon, that guy named Al in Pakistan was working his ass off.
PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Tesla HR: So why do you think you’re qualified to pilot our “Full-Self Driving” Cars?
Candidate: I completed Desert Bus five times in one week.
Tesla HR: Welcome to the team. You do not exist.
SADLY
SADLY
SADLY
Is it just me, or does this vehicle just look really dated being that it’s so derivative and slab-sided.
“It’s giving Altima Coupe” as the kids might say, if the kids knew what an Altima Coupe was.
It’s a Rogue with a sloping roof, right?
G35 minus the rust, decals, and spoilers?
Fun fact, even though the original Atari Driving controllers appeared the same as the Paddle controllers, they weren’t. Paddle controllers had a stop at the end of their rotation limit but Driving controllers were free wheeling.
Also, if this silly thing had actual controls, I’d guess Tesla could get in onto the market, what, tomorrow? I’d bet they’d sell a few.
I don’t see much difference between these silly gold stripes and whitewall tires. It’s the same basic aesthetic.
Beigewalls..
Ahh I like the sound of it
I hope that controller had Hall Effect sensors. That’s the only one’s I use on my controllers.
I had to hunt for a while before I found one I was willing to buy for my xbox. G7 SE, hall effect joysticks. Been extremely happy with my purchase, though it is wired since Xbox uses a proprietary bluetooth connection. But after wearing out official controllers in less than a year and dealing with stickdrift, well worth the wired connection.
8bitdo also makes Xbox controllers with hall effect sensors
Whoa, a video game controller?! This is extremely intensive low-speed exhibition car maneuvering, not some silly game like taking a bunch of people to the ocean floor.
My mind is imploding with the possibilities.
Came here for the OceanGate sub references; not disappointed…