Hacker reveals Tesla is collecting additional data around Robotaxi launch site

A hacker has revealed that Tesla has launched a new app to collect data on the website where it plans to showcase its Robotaxi model next month.

Questions arise about what the carmaker intends to showcase at the event.

While most other autonomous ride-hailing services like Waymo and Cruise focus on operating their system in geofenced urban areas through mapping, Tesla has always said it sets itself apart by taking a broader approach that includes developing an autonomous driving system that is closer to the way humans drive — meaning it can virtually drive anywhere without mapping the area first or even needing an internet connection.

Tesla intends to develop a system that will be able to drive like a human, replacing the eyes and brain with cameras and neural networks.

The automaker has yet to meet that goal, despite CEO Elon Musk saying Tesla will hit the target by the end of every year since 2018.

Tesla first revealed its plans for a self-driving system in 2016, presenting them in the form of a video demonstration.

The film has since become truly controversial because it was produced using a set route that had been mapped in 3D beforehand. Tesla also ran this route multiple times to optimize performance.

In testimony filed as part of a lawsuit over the situation, Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s director of Autopilot software, confirmed that it was not representative of Tesla’s system’s capabilities at the time:

“The goal of the video was not to accurately represent what was available to customers in 2016. It was to represent what could be built into the system.”

This led many people to claim the footage was “faked” or “staged.”

Eight years later, Tesla is preparing for a similar launch, but this time it’s “Robotaxi,” a dedicated ride-sharing autonomous vehicle platform.

We recently learned that Tesla plans to hold an event next month at the Warner Bros. studio in Los Angeles.

Green, a well-known Tesla hacker who often leaks information about the company by reviewing the source code of software updates, has now revealed that Tesla has launched a new data collection campaign called “WB Studio” to gather additional data on the area where it plans to unveil Robotaxi next month:

So it looks like a recent Bloomberg article explains why Tesla began its extensive data collection in the “WB Studio” area about 4 days ago.
There are also other places like Tesla Diner, various places in San Francisco and the Bay Area, etc. photo:twitter.com/NO4Bprugak

— green (@greentheonly) September 1, 2024

Tesla uses its customers’ fleet of vehicles to collect road and driving data, which is used to improve the neural networks that power its autonomous driving system.

However, some believe that Tesla is repeating the same trick it used in the 2016 video showing a self-driving car.

Recent reports have reinforced these suspicions. Tesla insiders recently reported that Tesla focused its data annotation resources on routes taken by Elon Musk and other “VIPs,” often Tesla influencers, who posted FSD videos.

Electrek’s Opinion

Knowing Tesla, the unveiling of the Robotaxi won’t be as simple as showing off a new vehicle designed to operate a robotaxi service. It will likely involve some sort of demonstration of the vehicle’s capabilities.

I think there are valid concerns about whether Tesla will demonstrate the level of performance it did in 2016 that the vehicle still can’t achieve in its consumer-facing version 8 years later.

I’m not saying the same thing will happen with Robotaxi, but a Robotaxi vehicle isn’t really useful if you haven’t already solved the autonomous driving problem. Tesla will need to show progress on that front, and right now the data from the FSD program doesn’t show much progress.

Another option is for Tesla to launch a geofenced robotaxi service like Waymo. That could explain the more detailed data collection, but it would also be a retreat by Tesla from what sets its self-driving system apart from the competition.