Latest news with #DawnProject
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Disturbing Test Shows What Happens When Tesla Robotaxi Sees a Child Mannequin Pop Out From Behind a School Bus
After promising self-driving robotaxis for more than a decade, it's probably no surprise that Tesla CEO Elon Musk has blown way past his promised rollout date of June 12. Now scheduled to formally roll out on the streets in Austin, Texas on either June 22 or 28 — not even Musk seems to know at this point — the tech billionaire's self-driving charade is running seriously behind. As consumer interest in Tesla continues to plummet, one generational hater is showing just how far Musk's last ditch effort to save Tesla is really lagging. In a live demonstration on public roads in Austin, a recent media stunt showed that "self-driving" Tesla robotaxis make no qualms about running down children in cold blood. The demonstration, sponsored by the Dawn Project — a watchdog group founded by Musk's fellow billionaire and longtime Pentagon contractor Dan O'Dowd — showed what happens when a Tesla running on current-gen self-driving software comes up on a stopped school bus. Making no attempt to slow down, the Tesla model Y barrels past the bus and its blinking stop light. When a child mannequin darts across the road, the EV plows right through it, taking a full car's length to come to a complete stop. "What it shows is a full self-driving Tesla will not stop at a bus, and if a kid steps out, it will mow them down," O'Dowd told Futurism. Despite a two-year campaign by the Dawn Project to highlight the school bus issue — which included a full-page in the New York Times and a Superbowl commercial — O'Dowd says lawmakers, not to mention Tesla itself, have done nothing to fix the issue. Sadly, that inaction has already had real consequences. In North Carolina in 2023, for example, a student was struck while exiting a school bus by a self-driving Tesla, and had to be airlifted to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. "What's happened since? Tesla has not fixed the bug," O'Dowd said. "And still the government hasn't forced a recall." For O'Dowd and the Dawn Project, Tesla is unique among carmakers adding self-driving features to their vehicles. Asked about the Dawn Project's stance on Waymo — which has its own history of dangerous traffic maneuvers — O'Dowd says "Waymo gets the job done." "They actually can do ten million rides and not kill anybody," he notes. "Tesla can't do any self-driving and it's killed a lot of people. So that's my question, how many people have they killed? How many people have they injured?" (As a point of fact, Waymo has logged a total of 696 accidents since 2021, with one Waymo-involved fatality recorded so far. Teslas, for comparison, have notched well over 2,146 incidents, with 553 Tesla-involved fatalities.) While the writing might be on the wall for Tesla, O'Dowd continues to pour resources into raising awareness about the dangers Musk's vehicles pose to civilians, partnering with movements like the nationwide Tesla Takedown initiative. Despite the obvious, O'Dowd says it's not over 'til it's over. "I've never been willing to go out there and short Tesla," the billionaire told us. "It's too risky. The guy's too good at making up stories to convince people he can make a bunch of money." More on Tesla: Terrifying Footage Shows Self-Driving Tesla Get Confused by the Sun, Mow Down Innocent Grandmother
Daily Telegraph
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Telegraph
Tesla's FSD runs over child mannequin
Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News. Two Tesla foes have joined forces to attack Elon and his automotive semi-autonomous driving technology. The Dawn Project and the Tesla Takedown movement have partnered to highlight what they claim are 'critical safety defects' in Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software. In a recent test conducted in the United States (US), a Tesla Model Y equipped with the latest version of Full Self-Driving (version 13.2.9) was presented with a common scenario: a school bus stopped on the side of the road with its flashing lights and stop signs activated. A child-sized mannequin was then pulled across the street, simulating a child attempting to catch the bus. Anti-Tesla activists testing FSD system. (Picture: The Dawn Project) Anti-Tesla activists testing FSD system. (Picture: The Dawn Project) MORE: Inside China's total domination of Australia The Tesla, travelling at an average speed of approximately 32 km/h, failed to stop at the bus stop sign and proceeded to strike the mannequin in each of the eight test runs. The system also reportedly failed to alert the driver to the collision. The tests come as Tesla prepares to launch robotaxis in the US, fully autonomous vehicles designed for taxi services. While Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stated that the company is 'being super paranoid about safety' regarding its forthcoming robotaxi launch, organisers like The Dawn Project and Tesla Takedown aren't convinced. Tesla runs passed stop sign. (Picture: The Dawn Project) MORE: Crisis sends Australian fuel prices soaring The Dawn Project said, 'Full Self-Driving ran down the child mannequin while illegally blowing past the school bus on every single attempt.' 'Tesla's Full Self-Driving software did not disengage or even alert the driver to the fact there had been a collision on any of the test runs,' they added. However, it's important to note that the Full Self-Driving (Supervised) is not fully autonomous but rather semi-autonomous. Tesla states explicitly that the system is designed for 'use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment.' Autonomous driving is a key pillar of investment for Tesla. Having introduced its 'Autopilot' driver assistance system more than a decade ago, Tesla doubled down on 'full self-driving' in the US. Anti-Tesla activists testing FSD system. (Picture: The Dawn Project) MORE: Magic mushies, booze kill off 'soft' utes Recently, Tesla was faced with a significant challenge after Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Build Your Dreams (BYD) unveiled its new driver-assistance system, 'God's Eye.' This innovative technology, which BYD has installed for free in some of its models, enables cars to drive themselves on highways and in urban environments. Some experts argue that 'God's Eye' is more advanced than Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system, which costs nearly US $9,000 ($13,800) in China. Tesla's Full Self-Driving capability in Australia is currently being tested and is not yet fully legal for public use. However, the system could be arriving soon. Earlier this year, the EV giant published a video on of a Tesla Model 3 with prototype software successfully negotiating busy streets in inner-city Melbourne. 2025 Tesla Model Y. Picture: Mark Bean The brand's country director for Australia, Thom Drew, says an expansion of Tesla's driverless features is high on Elon Musk's list of priorities. 'That's Elon's push,' Drew said. 'We have a global engineering team that are working across markets around a lot of FSD… actively working across all our markets to roll it out.' Critics are watching closely as Tesla's Autopilot and FSD systems remain under investigation following a series of crashes and fatalities. Originally published as Tesla's Full Self-Driving system fails in 'safety test'
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Tesla's Full Self-Driving system fails in ‘safety test'
Two Tesla foes have joined forces to attack Elon and his automotive semi-autonomous driving technology. The Dawn Project and the Tesla Takedown movement have partnered to highlight what they claim are 'critical safety defects' in Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software. In a recent test conducted in the United States (US), a Tesla Model Y equipped with the latest version of Full Self-Driving (version 13.2.9) was presented with a common scenario: a school bus stopped on the side of the road with its flashing lights and stop signs activated. A child-sized mannequin was then pulled across the street, simulating a child attempting to catch the bus. The Tesla, travelling at an average speed of approximately 32 km/h, failed to stop at the bus stop sign and proceeded to strike the mannequin in each of the eight test runs. The system also reportedly failed to alert the driver to the collision. The tests come as Tesla prepares to launch robotaxis in the US, fully autonomous vehicles designed for taxi services. While Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stated that the company is 'being super paranoid about safety' regarding its forthcoming robotaxi launch, organisers like The Dawn Project and Tesla Takedown aren't convinced. The Dawn Project said, 'Full Self-Driving ran down the child mannequin while illegally blowing past the school bus on every single attempt.' 'Tesla's Full Self-Driving software did not disengage or even alert the driver to the fact there had been a collision on any of the test runs,' they added. However, it's important to note that the Full Self-Driving (Supervised) is not fully autonomous but rather semi-autonomous. Tesla states explicitly that the system is designed for 'use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment.' Autonomous driving is a key pillar of investment for Tesla. Having introduced its 'Autopilot' driver assistance system more than a decade ago, Tesla doubled down on 'full self-driving' in the US. Recently, Tesla was faced with a significant challenge after Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Build Your Dreams (BYD) unveiled its new driver-assistance system, 'God's Eye.' This innovative technology, which BYD has installed for free in some of its models, enables cars to drive themselves on highways and in urban environments. Some experts argue that 'God's Eye' is more advanced than Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system, which costs nearly US $9,000 ($13,800) in China. Tesla's Full Self-Driving capability in Australia is currently being tested and is not yet fully legal for public use. However, the system could be arriving soon. Earlier this year, the EV giant published a video on of a Tesla Model 3 with prototype software successfully negotiating busy streets in inner-city Melbourne. The brand's country director for Australia, Thom Drew, says an expansion of Tesla's driverless features is high on Elon Musk's list of priorities. 'That's Elon's push,' Drew said. 'We have a global engineering team that are working across markets around a lot of FSD… actively working across all our markets to roll it out.' Critics are watching closely as Tesla's Autopilot and FSD systems remain under investigation following a series of crashes and fatalities.
CNBC
7 days ago
- Automotive
- CNBC
Tesla faces protests in Austin over Musk's robotaxi plans
With Elon Musk looking to June 22 as his tentative start date for Tesla's pilot robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, protesters are voicing their opposition. Public safety advocates and political protesters, upset with Musk's work with the Trump administration, joined together in downtown Austin on Thursday to express their concerns about the robotaxi launch. Members of the Dawn Project, Tesla Takedown and Resist Austin say that Tesla's partially automated driving systems have safety problems. Tesla sells its cars with a standard Autopilot package, or a premium Full Self-Driving option (also known as FSD or FSD supervised), in the U.S. Automobiles with these systems, which include features like automatic lane keeping, steering and parking, have been involved in dozens of collisions, some fatal, according to data tracked by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Tesla's robotaxis, which Musk showed off in a video clip on X earlier this week, are new versions of the company's popular Model Y vehicles, equipped with a future release of Tesla's FSD software. That "unsupervised" FSD, or robotaxi technology, is not yet available to the public. Tesla critics with The Dawn Project, which calls itself a tech-safety and security education business, brought a version of Model Y with relatively recent FSD software (version 2025.14.9) to show residents of Austin how it works. In their demonstration on Thursday, they showed how a Tesla with FSD engaged zoomed past a school bus with a stop sign held out and ran over a child-sized mannequin that they put in front of the vehicle. Dawn Project CEO Dan O'Dowd also runs Green Hills Software, which sells technology to Tesla competitors, including Ford and Toyota. Stephanie Gomez, who attended the demonstration, told CNBC that she didn't like the role Musk had been playing in the government. Additionally, she said she has no confidence in Tesla's safety standards and said there's been a lack of transparency from Tesla regarding how its robotaxis will work. Another protester, Silvia Revelis, said she also opposed Musk's political activity, but that safety is the biggest concern. "Citizens have not been able to get safety testing results," she said. "Musk believes he's above the law." Tesla didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Safety concerns emerge as Tesla robotaxis prepare for launch
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — On a quiet street in the Mueller neighborhood of Austin Thursday, Tesla's full self driving mode was put to the test — would it stop for the stop signs on a school bus and avoid hitting children crossing the road? Though the test was completed with child-sized manikins as opposed to real children, the Tesla failed the test all six times. It blew through school bus stop signs at full speed, running over the manikins and driving off — completing a hit-and-run. The test was carried out by the Dawn Project, a national organization trying to raise awareness about experimental computer and artificial intelligence technologies. The organization's Project Coordinator Arthur Maltin said that the Tesla's FSD mode is not programmed to stop at school bus stop signs, which is legally required. Dawn Project Founder Dan O'Dowd said the product does not work well enough to be hitting city streets. 'The product does not work,' O'Dowd said. 'The self-driving Teslas will not stop for that bus. They do not see it as a bus. They do not know that is a bus. They don't understand what a bus is.' O'Dowd said that the experiment was not purely hypothetical, pointing out a 2023 incident in which a Tesla vehicle struck a minor in North Carolina, leaving him with life threatening injuries. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment. We will update this if a statement is received. The company's CEO, Elon Musk, has said the robotaxis will operate using different software from the Tesla FSD, but it is not clear in which ways the software will differ. Maltin said that if Tesla fixes the bug for the robotaxis, it still would not resolve the issue for the hundreds of thousands of Teslas on the road. 'If their new software that they have in the robotaxis will stop for the school bus, that is obviously a good thing and we applaud that,' Maltin said. 'But why will they not fix that issue for the 500,000 cars that are driving around America every day?' On X, Musk said Tesla was planning to start picking up paying customers on June 22, although he did acknowledge that date could change because the company is 'being super paranoid about safety.' The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sent Tesla a letter May 8 requesting more information about the robotaxi rollout in Austin. The NHTSA wanted to know how Tesla was training its autonomous vehicles on the roads and how it would navigate low-visibility conditions. The NHTSA opened an investigation against Tesla after it documented four incidents with Tesla FSD active since October 2024, one of them fatal. Dr. Missy Cummings, a former senior adviser to the NHTSA, said that the Tesla is not a self-driving car because current versions of the FSD require a driver to be behind the wheel. She cautions any users of the technology when it rolls out in Austin. 'I don't think people really realize how much danger that they're in being in a kind of unprecedented experiment with robotic technology,' Cummings said. These robotaxis will not be an entirely new concept locally — Austin residents are used to seeing fully autonomous vehicles on the roads. Google-owned Waymo has been operating hundreds of vehicles in Austin since last year through the Uber app. O'Dowd said one downside of Tesla compared with Waymo is that Tesla vehicles are only equipped with cameras, forcing the AI software to infer distance from a picture. Waymo on the other hand is equipped with LiDAR, a technology that allows the car to understand distance from objects and its surroundings. The LiDAR technology means the car's sensors can be triggered by other motion, like severe weather. During storms in March, multiple Waymo vehicles stopped in the road. It remains to be seen whether or not Tesla will roll out its robotaxis in June after delays and Musk's stated focus on safety. Maltin said the vehicles should not hit the road until the kinks are worked out. 'Fix these safety defects, or take it off the road until these issues are fixed,' Maltin said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
