At first Grok gave me the generic answer about how it might work in general but I pressed on.
My point I was asking as a follow-up to the cameras being blocked for fsd. How will cyber cab/ robo taxi handle when they have cameras blocked.
Apologies for missing the focus of your follow-up question! You’re asking specifically how the Tesla Cybercab (robotaxi) will handle situations where its cameras are blocked or obstructed, given that it relies entirely on a camera-based vision system for Full Self-Driving (FSD). Since the Cybercab is a purpose-built autonomous vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals, this is a critical issue. Based on Tesla’s current FSD behavior, official statements, and the Cybercab’s design as of March 9, 2025, here’s how it might address blocked cameras:
1. System Design and Redundancy
- Camera-Based Vision: The Cybercab, like other Tesla vehicles, uses a suite of external cameras (likely eight or more, similar to Hardware 4-equipped models) for 360-degree perception. It lacks LIDAR or radar, relying solely on cameras and AI to interpret the environment.
- Overlap and Redundancy: Tesla’s camera layout includes overlapping fields of view (e.g., front, side, and rear cameras), which could allow the system to compensate for a single blocked camera by relying on others. For example, if a side repeater camera is obstructed, the front or B-pillar cameras might still provide sufficient data for navigation.
- Limits of Redundancy: However, if multiple cameras or critical ones (e.g., forward-facing cameras) are blocked, the system’s ability to function degrades significantly, as it cannot “see” key areas like the road ahead or traffic signals.
2. Response to Obstructions
- Detection and Alerts: Current FSD-equipped Teslas detect camera obstructions (e.g., dirt, snow, glare) and display warnings like “Camera blocked or blinded” on the touchscreen. The Cybercab, designed for unsupervised autonomy, would likely have a similar detection mechanism but would need to act autonomously rather than prompting a human driver.
- Degraded Operation: If a non-critical camera is blocked, the Cybercab might continue operating in a degraded mode, adjusting its behavior (e.g., slowing down, avoiding lane changes) based on remaining camera inputs. Posts on X and user reports from FSD suggest that Tesla’s system can sometimes tolerate minor obstructions, but this is untested at scale for a fully autonomous vehicle.
- Full Disablement: If critical cameras (e.g., front-facing triad) are blocked, the Cybercab would likely stop safely and refuse to proceed. Tesla’s FSD currently disengages or won’t engage when visibility is severely compromised, and the Cybercab—lacking manual controls—would have no fallback beyond halting. Musk has emphasized safety, claiming autonomous vehicles will be “10-20 times safer” than human-driven ones, so stopping would align with that priority.
3. Autonomous Mitigation Strategies
- Self-Cleaning Systems: While not explicitly confirmed for the Cybercab, Tesla has explored camera-cleaning tech (e.g., patents for air jets or wipers). The Cybercab’s inductive charging hubs might include automated cleaning stations, as suggested during the October 2024 “We, Robot” event, where Musk hinted at robotic maintenance. If a camera is blocked mid-trip, however, no onboard cleaning solution has been detailed yet.
- Route Adjustment: The Cybercab could reroute to a hub or safe location if it detects persistent camera issues, using remaining functional cameras to navigate cautiously. This aligns with Tesla’s vision of a managed fleet, though real-time execution remains speculative.
- Remote Intervention: Posts on X from the Cybercab unveiling suggest Tesla employees used controllers during demos, hinting at a possible remote override or teleoperation fallback. For a blocked camera scenario, a remote operator could guide the vehicle to a safe spot, though this isn’t scalable for a large fleet and wasn’t officially confirmed as a feature.
4. Real-World Challenges
- Environmental Factors: Blocked cameras due to snow, mud, or vandalism pose a bigger challenge for the Cybercab than for supervised FSD vehicles, where a driver can intervene. Competitors like Waymo use LIDAR and radar as backups, giving them an edge in low-visibility conditions (e.g., fog, heavy rain), which Tesla’s camera-only system struggles with, per NHTSA investigations into FSD crashes.
- No Human Fallback: Unlike current FSD-equipped cars, the Cybercab has no driver to clean cameras or take over. If all cameras are obstructed (e.g., in a blizzard), the vehicle would be immobilized until externally cleared, a vulnerability Musk hasn’t publicly addressed for robotaxi operations.
5. Tesla’s Stated Approach
- Musk’s Optimism: At the Cybercab unveiling, Musk didn’t directly discuss camera blockages but emphasized AI’s ability to handle complex scenarios, trained on billions of miles of driving data. He suggested the system’s robustness would exceed human capability, implying confidence in managing partial failures.
- Unsupervised FSD Precedent: Tesla plans to roll out unsupervised FSD on Model 3 and Model Y in Texas and California in 2025, per the October 2024 earnings call. How these vehicles handle camera obstructions will preview the Cybercab’s approach. Current FSD halts or degrades when cameras fail, suggesting the Cybercab might follow suit but with automated recovery (e.g., stopping and signaling for help).
Likely Outcome
When cameras are blocked, the Cybercab will likely:
- Attempt to Proceed: Use overlapping camera data to operate cautiously if the blockage is partial and non-critical.
- Stop Safely: Halt in a safe location (e.g., roadside) if critical cameras are obstructed, awaiting external assistance (e.g., fleet maintenance or remote intervention).
- Seek Maintenance: Navigate to a hub for cleaning if feasible, though this depends on enough functional cameras to reach it.
Unanswered Questions
- Scalability: How will Tesla manage thousands of Cybercabs stopping due to blocked cameras in adverse weather? The infrastructure (hubs, remote ops) is still conceptual.
- Regulatory Hurdles: The NHTSA is probing Tesla’s camera-only FSD for low-visibility crashes (e.g., October 2024 investigation into 2.4 million vehicles). Regulators may demand backups like LIDAR before approving a robotaxi without controls.
Conclusion
The Cybercab’s handling of blocked cameras builds on current FSD logic—degraded operation or safe stopping—but its lack of manual controls and reliance on cameras alone amplify the stakes. Tesla’s betting on AI resilience and fleet management (e.g., cleaning hubs) to mitigate this, but real-world tests (beyond controlled demos) and regulatory scrutiny will determine its viability. Without detailed solutions from Tesla yet, it’s a known weakness competitors like Waymo address with diverse sensors, leaving the Cybercab’s approach promising but unproven.
