Tesla Drivers in China Use Celebrity Dolls to Trick Driver Monitoring Systems
In parts of China, a curious aftermarket trend is emerging around Tesla's driver assistance systems. According to reporting by Wired, drivers are purchasing small plastic replicas of celebrity faces for as little as $30 and placing them inside their cars in a way that confuses in-car monitoring systems.
One of the most common and popular examples shows miniature versions of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's heads being placed next to the rear-view mirror. They are not used as toys or decorative objects but rather to take advantage of a common assumption made by driver-assistance software about what a present and focused driver looks like on the road. With this, the system may appear to believe a present driver is sitting in the driver's seat while the actual driver is off looking at his cell phone.
This creates an alarming loophole as it enables drivers to glance at their phones, relax, or, in some circumstances, switch off from actively driving while the semi-autonomous systems remain engaged.
How driver monitoring systems are being tricked
To prevent drivers from relying on assisted-driving systems alone, automakers use tools such as torque sensors on the steering wheel and cabin-facing cameras that monitor the driver.
However, as Tesla Official Safety and Autopilot Information explains, these systems are still classified as driver assistance rather than full autonomy. The Wired report goes on to say that many have discovered ways to bypass the safety measures of these cars and get away with it.
These systems are designed to appear as if an attentive driver is present in the front of the car, regardless of their focus, by placing false or deceiving representations of a driver or visual distractions in the car, but in some markets and in some cases, the system can be tricked into believing that an alert does not need to be sent. Other reported cases from different parts of the world include the misuse of in-car cameras using items like cell phone mounts placed where they will not show the driver is looking away, and clever positioning of oneself in a car seat so that it seems that the driver is paying attention even when they are not.
The road safety impact
Advanced driver assistance features can offer advantages for everyday drivers, including improved comfort on long journeys and reduced fatigue.
Safety experts have also long expressed concerns that relying on such systems can be detrimental. When the driver has a false belief that the system has full control over the car's performance, they will become overly reliant on the driving-assistance features and will be less likely to notice the system begin to fail or make errors, which can be crucial in fatal accidents.
Road safety regulators in the UK and international transport bodies note that most driver-assistance systems currently used in cars operate at Level 2 autonomy, although Level 3 systems are available in some vehicles and markets.
The discovery of cheap hacks to fool monitoring software in China highlights how wide the gap can be between what appears safe and what is actually safe in countries like the UK and the US. The importance of this particular workaround being found and used so readily comes from its incredible simplicity; it requires little technical skill. All that is required is a basic, affordable item that exploits human vision within the capabilities of driver monitoring system sensors.
The regulatory grey zone
According to the International Energy Agency, one issue facing semi-autonomous vehicles in China is that the country has become one of the fastest-growing EV markets.
With so much new technology, however, regulations have moved slowly, and safety enforcement and awareness have not yet caught up with human ingenuity.
Regulators like the US's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are aware of the risks posed by semi-autonomous cars. They have investigated drivers misusing driver-assistance features, and regulators in the UK and EU continue to insist that drivers pay attention at all times.
While a number of methods for avoiding such prompts have been brought to light, it appears that many users will continue to find new, innovative ways of bypassing what the government is warning against.
What this means for the future of assisted driving
The emergence of hacks like these signals an interesting reality: if drivers continue to find ways around any and all safety features they are forced to implement, even those meant for their safety and the safety of all road users. The hacks suggest manufacturers may need stronger driver-monitoring systems to reduce misuse and crash risk.
Wired suggests that some drivers will keep finding ways to trick safety systems for convenience, no matter how advanced cars become.
