In a video published on YouTube, the YouTuber from the USA "Occupy Mars" shows that his 2018 Tesla Model 3 can detect distances even with the ultrasonic sensors (USS) disabled. Although the vehicle was running version 2022.28.2, which was released in September 2022, the Tesla managed to Model 3, measure distances without the use of USS and display them correctly on the screen.
The YouTuber drove his Model 3 car out of the garage without the front bumper and confirmed that all ultrasonic sensors were disconnected. However, he noted that the Model 3 accurately detected a vehicle next to him and was able to measure the appropriate distances. This seems to confirm that Tesla is testing Tesla Vision to detect nearby objects and indicate distances, but only on vehicles with USS.
Interestingly, the Occupy Mars vehicle detected distances only in reverse, even though much of the vehicle is disassembled. As the vehicle moved closer to the garage, he noticed that the Model 3 could not display the distance between the car and the garage. Instead, it detected objects at the corners of the vehicle. This makes sense because there is a blind spot in front of the vehicle that the cameras cannot see.
To confirm that the vehicle was using its cameras to determine distance, he covered the cameras on the front and B-pillar with tape. Once the vehicle's cameras were covered, the car immediately stopped displaying arcs and distances of nearby objects. But the YouTuber went one step further. In addition, he also disconnected the installed radar from the vehicle in order to exclude a measurement over it.
Apparently, Tesla is actively testing and collecting data from vehicles equipped with ultrasonic sensors, and has been doing so for several months. Previously, USS was entirely responsible for detecting distances to nearby objects, but it appears that Tesla is now using an updated version of Tesla Vision in the background. This allows Tesla to collect needed data in the background and program the system to do so. Tesla then uses the distances detected by Tesla Vision and compares those values to the results from the vehicle's ultrasonic sensors to further improve the accuracy of the new system before it is released.
Source: YouTube salvagEV's
