Tesla Robotaxi Adds Onboard Data Recording to Enhance Autopilot

Tesla’s Robotaxi vehicles have recently added an onboard data recording feature to collect road condition and vehicle operation data for optimizing the autonomous driving system. This feature appears on the center console screens of certain modified Model Y vehicles, primarily used in supervised Robotaxi test vehicles. The interface shows that recorded data is saved onto a storage device connected to the USB port inside the glove compartment, with real-time display of storage usage percentage and options to eject the device, stop recording, or activate rest mode. Photos taken by passengers indicate that a roughly 20-minute trip consumes about 10% of the storage device’s capacity, suggesting the system likely records video feeds from all external cameras simultaneously. The feature is specifically designed for in-cabin safety supervisors, aligning with their job responsibilities of “starting and stopping recording devices and managing related hardware.” Currently, supervised Robotaxis operate mainly in parts of the San Francisco Bay Area and Austin, Texas, with human safety operators seated in the driver’s seat to handle emergencies. Fully unsupervised Robotaxi services are already available in Dallas, Houston, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa. Austin offers both operational modes concurrently. Additionally, unsupervised Robotaxis have disabled audible alerts for turn signals and hazard lights to reduce cabin noise. Tesla’s Robotaxi fleet has now accumulated over 380,000 miles (approximately 612,000 kilometers) of unsupervised autonomous driving. This month, the service expanded to Miami, Orlando, and Tampa. Meanwhile, the steering-wheel- and pedal-free Cybercab is undergoing public testing in Austin. Tesla continues gathering real-world driving data to refine its neural network models, preparing for the future full-scale commercial deployment of Cybercab.