Can you really trust Autopilot?

Bring up Tesla’s Autopilot to most people and they’ll probably think about the 'Minority Report' and 'i, Robot'.

Autonomous cars often come off as a magical and illusive prospect, one that can imperceptibly guide you home in complete luxury and safety. Err. Not always.

You see, semi-autonomous systems in production cars - whether they’re Volvo’s Pilot Assist, Mercedes-Benz’s Drive Pilot, or Tesla’s Autopilot - all use similar ‘reference points’ to calculate where they are, what’s going on around them, and what they need to do to take you home.

That can range from sensors to cameras - even using the car's sat nav to 'pre-load' its next move.

Meaning, while they share the same impressive advantages, they all (arguably) share similar weaknesses.

One of the most frequent issues we see is how they can, at times, ‘lock-on’ and follow lane markings. Which seems like a completely reasonable parameter to use. Even as a primary one. Unless, of course, the markings ‘guide’ the car into roadworks, or into a concrete lane divider. Which they sometimes do.

Lane monitoring seems to be the most reasonable parameter to follow, but it's also one of the most fallible.

The dilemma the computers might need to figure out (at highway speeds) is "do I follow the clearly marked lines that are official markings, or do I follow the fainter lines that may have been painted over?" 

But the answer to that issue might flip depending on the circumstances, programming, and varying reference levels outside of the car.

Similar situation to the dilemma before, only this time the car chose the latter option, but still got it wrong.

While there is still the satellite navigation to see where the road is turning, active cruise control to keep you up to speed, and AEB to quickly slow you down, autonomous systems don’t work in total harmony with their adapting environment. Yet.

This can be exacerbated when you strip away perfect weather, low traffic density, concise lane markings, and no roadworks. After all, there’s a difference between a predetermined test route for media demonstrations and real life.

Like a traction control system on an early Commodore or Falcon, they’re clunky and don’t always work properly (ah, the memories). They’re more of a driving assist program that should help every now-and-then. Not completely take over. Not yet, anyway.

So, no, they aren’t perfect - don't expect them to be - and at times, they can be pretty unnerving.

But then again, compare a today’s traction control system to one that’s 10-years-old and see how much difference there is.

Have you driven in a car with an autonomous function? Tell us your experience in the comments below.