The NTSB is investigating a fatal crash in Texas involving a Ford electric vehicle that may have been using a partially automated driving system. The crash, which resulted in the death of the driver of a Honda CR-V, occurred on Interstate 10. Ford's Blue Cruise system, which allows hands-off steering on highways, is under scrutiny, and the NTSB will examine the wreckage and events leading up to the collision. Both NHTSA and the NTSB have previously investigated crashes involving partially automated driving systems, with a preliminary report on this incident expected within 30 days.
A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that only one out of 14 partially automated driving systems, Lexus' Teammate, received an "acceptable" rating, while the rest were rated "marginal" or "poor" for not adequately ensuring driver attention and issuing timely warnings. The study aims to push automakers to follow standards for driver monitoring and calls for more regulatory action from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Systems from Tesla, Nissan, BMW, Ford, and others were rated poorly, prompting automakers to consider changes to comply with safety standards.
Tesla's FSD Beta software has a "God mode" called "Elon mode," which mainly removes steering wheel nags and changes braking behavior to "less intense." Ethical hacker Green tested the feature during a 600-mile road trip and found it to be better than his prior attempt. He suggests that getting rid of the nags would be a good thing because people would spend less time noticing FSD Beta shortcomings, but it could also result in accidents. To enable "Elon mode," one would need someone at Tesla to enable it or force their way into the software to activate it.
Apple unveiled its first augmented reality headset, the Vision Pro, at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote. The company also announced a major update to iOS, which will introduce new features like personalized call posters and improved sticker experiences. WhatsApp launched Channels, a broadcast-based messaging feature, and Mercedes-Benz received a permit to sell or lease vehicles equipped with a conditional automated driving system in California. Sequoia plans to split into three entities to navigate an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.
Nvidia and MediaTek have announced a partnership to develop technology for advanced vehicle infotainment systems that can stream video or games and interact with drivers through artificial intelligence. The partnership will integrate Nvidia software and a graphic processing unit chiplet into the system-on-chips provided by MediaTek to automakers for infotainment displays. The feature will be compatible with automated driving systems based on Nvidia technology. The first products are expected to be released in late 2025.
BMW has unveiled its new 5-series sedan with an optional Highway Assistant system that allows drivers to change lanes just by looking at one of the outside mirrors. The car's automated driving system suggests a lane change if the car ahead is going too slowly, and the driver only has to look at the corresponding side mirror for the car to do the rest. The system relies on a camera mounted behind the steering to monitor the direction of the driver's gaze and check that the driver is watching the road at all times.
