One of the biggest challenges that are flagged as a challenge to autonomy, is complex scenarios like Australia’s hook turns in Melbourne.
For those unfamiliar with Hook Turns, these are a way of accommodating the trams in Melbourne.
Tesla understood early that many would use examples like hook turns as examples of why the system could never work. when they released their first FSD video from a RHD country, they included a hook turn to address these concerns and tackle them head-on.
Today, I had the opportunity to try it for myself.
Having located a hook turn, it was time to test. Approaching the intersection, I entered a destination that would ensure the car would right to the right.
I then experience the car indicate to turn right, from the left lane.
The car reached the end of the hook turn lane on the left where it was faced with the illuminated hook turn sign. While there was no passing tram at the time, this provides the opportunity for a tram to pass, before turning safely.
This feels very strange, given you’re effectively left in an intersection as the light turn amber, then red and only then does it turn right across the intersection.
Ultimately, I can confirm, the system works.
I would have loved to test this a dozen more times, but was tight for time today in dropping back, having driven from Wodonga to return the HW4 car and take the train back home.
Declaring if the software supports a specific feature like this is always difficult, given the variability that occurs on our roads. I’ve also seen the software merge at different locations on the same 2 to 1 lane merge. This does leave some margin for there to be issues, so today I can confirm it’s technically possible, but is one of the more technical maneuverers. Given this, I would encourage anyone with FSD (Supervised) trying a hook turn, to be very ready to take over.
Tesla are leaps and bounds ahead of any other ADAS system. If we take a look down the long list of brands that sell cars into Australia, their ADAS systems are not even close to what FSD (Supervised) is capable of today and I expect that gap to widen, not close in the short and medium term.
Chances are, some automakers wake up to the business risks associated with not competing in this space..
