Tesla rolls out major update that allows its vehicles to read, understand certain road signs

Last week, Elon Musk delivered on this promise to actually have a working demonstration for his mysterious Neuralink project. However, instead of human subjects, the team used pigs – one of which had the implant for two months to date – to show how computers can detect signals from the brain. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) even called it a notable milestone. Now, Tesla reveals another breakthrough this week as a new software update now allows its vehicles to recognise road signs.

This arrives a little over a month after Elon Musk stated that autonomous vehicles might launch sooner than originally predicted. He noted that by the end of the 2020 self-driving platforms could be approved for use on public roads. Hence, the new feature included in the 2020.36 software update might be a preview of technology that would allow driverless cars to navigate safely and follow traffic rules.

As the automotive market embraces the gradual shift from combustion engines to emission-free alternatives, Tesla remains at the top. The company continuously introduces innovative upgrades that keep it ahead of the pack. "Speed Assist now leverages your car's cameras to detect speed limit signs to improve the accuracy of speed limit data on local roads. Detected speed limit signs will be displayed in the driving visualisation and used to set the associated Speed Limit Warning," reports Electrek.

Tesla owners still have the option to manually toggle the settings and override what the system automatically adjusted to. The update likewise includes an acoustic notification that plays an audible chime to inform the driver that the light has turned green. This is a subtle and non-intrusive way for the vehicle to remind users to pay attention to what's in front of them.

Although there were several autonomous vehicles that were being tested a few years back, regulators pushed back approvals after several incidents wherein people's lives were endangered. One even resulted in the death of a pedestrian after the operator was distracted at the time.

In 2018, Musk posted a tweet that read: "Your Tesla will soon be able to go from your garage at home to parking at work with no driver input at all." Meanwhile, in a recent earnings call with investors, Musk confirmed that the company was already testing software and advanced algorithms to improve the safety of self-driving vehicles.