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Comment by noahtallen | Hacker News Reader

I thought autopilot did have a mechanism to get the driver’s attention when they stop touching the wheel?

Yeah, in fact, on our 3, it's pretty annoying. I virtually always have my hands on the wheel when autopilot is on, and it still seems like it nags me every 15 seconds to apply turning force to the wheel. Even when I think i'm applying enough force. Then sometimes you apply too much and it disengages.

I can't say I use it all that much, or like it all that much, but I do so occasionally. Just got home from a roadtrip last night. Frankly, because I'm watching where I'm going anyway, I feel the traffic aware cruise control (available on lots of other cars as well) is the best part. If you're looking down the road the steering input from your body is basically automatic anyway. And it's smoother than autopilot.

(if you're not looking where you're going, hopefully you're not in the driver's seat)

Changing the volume via the left scroll wheel is also accepted as steering wheel input. I normally flick the volume up one level. When the next nag starts, I flick down. I find this easier than applying turning force (which I agree has too high a threshold). I need to be driving on the highway for more than an hour before I bother turning on autopilot, so just like you I don't really use it that much.

I hope the people that built autopilot defeat devices do not figure this out. :(

They just hang a weight off the steering wheel. A lot simpler than building something that scrolls the volume button.

Just googled this and found this nifty little bit o' kit https://www.autopilotbuddy.com/

Guess we are really going to need eye tracking in any proper system that does this much 'autopilot' for drivers.

This is hilarious:

> Do Not Use the AutopilotBuddy on public streets. The Autopilot Buddy is not for street use, it is for closed track use only. The AutopilotBuddy Nag Reduction Device is no longer available to USA Residents.

Look, ma! I'm driving on a track with no hands! What a joke.

You wouldn't? It sounds like a fun thing to try.

(Yes, obviously you wouldn't be going anywhere near full speed.)

Just put a 1/2 filled 1L water bottle in the steering wheel. It's cheaper. And if you get thirsty you always have water handy.

http://www.steering-wheel-ipad.com/ Similar ‘product’... but this one is a joke

It does, and it notified the driver multiple times.

Alerts mean nothing if you ignore them

Then it should surely assume the driver is incapacitated and stop.

https://www.tesla.com/support/autopilot#active-safety-featur...

>Before enabling Autopilot, you must agree to “keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times” and to always “maintain control and responsibility for your car.” Once engaged, if insufficient torque is applied, Autopilot will also deliver an escalating series of visual and audio warnings, reminding you to place your hands on the wheel if insufficient torque is applied. If you repeatedly ignore these warnings, you will be locked out from using Autopilot during that trip.

Guess why this was introduced! Incidents like this.

Because while they were able to get away with it, and before the lawyers tapped Elon on the shoulder, those warnings only happened and only required your hands on the steering wheel _four times an hour_.

There's TV interviews with Elon doing exactly that.

IIRC after the 2nd notification, it will slow down and disengage autopilot with no ability to re-enable it until you park the car. Proactively ignoring it isn't really an option.

This statement is misleading to false.

The last notification for the cited wreck was 15 minutes prior to the crash.

https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/nr20180607.as...

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