Another Use for Rear Camera Going Forward

[Gizmotoy]

Not so easy to achieve in software as you might think. WhiteP85 spent two months designing the circuit for the camera switch, and this was just to switch between a front and rear image on the touchscreen with two Tesla cameras mounted on the the car -- the stock Tesla camera on the rear and another mounted on the front.

Though that was a hardware project, which are always difficult, especially when you have to reverse engineer someone else's design. I'm sure someone knowledgable with the camera systems at Tesla could have done it much faster.

I agree that, even still, it's probably quite difficult. It's one thing for you to look at the camera image and say "That's a car!", but it's much more difficult for a computer to process the image and come to the same conclusion. Think of all the false positives: we're moving but this section of the image where my blind spot is doesn't seem to be changing. Is that a car, or are we driving next to a wall? Is that a black car, or is it just kind of dark and it's hard to see very far?

I can see it helping inform data coming from some other sensor to improve reliability, but on it's own? I doubt kind of doubt it.

 

[caddieo]

I'm always concerned with damaging the front lip when pulling in to a parking spot with a curb in front. My wife discovered that you can use the rear camera to aid in this. When inching forward into the spot, look at the rear camera and as soon as you can see the parking lines, you know you're in the spot. Brilliant.

Here's what works for me, arrived at by trial. When the curb or the adjacent parking bumper on the left coincides with the bottom of the left side mirror, then I am just a few inches short of my curb or bumper. The first few attempts were made with my wife outside and keeping an eye on the front end while I looked for landmarks that would coincide with the correct position as she saw it. The relationship with the left mirror is what resulted. Since our driving positions are different, you'll have to look for your own landmarks and visual relationships.

 

[bsbomber]

I'm always concerned with damaging the front lip when pulling in to a parking spot with a curb in front. My wife discovered that you can use the rear camera to aid in this. When inching forward into the spot, look at the rear camera and as soon as you can see the parking lines, you know you're in the spot. Brilliant.

Here's a picture of my screen once I pulled into the spot. Pretty simple and I hope everyone enjoys using this idea.

View attachment 54634

Whenever I pull into a lot, the first thing I do is to raise the car up to "Very High". This height will get me over most all parking curbs. When I put her in "Park", I also immediately put her into "Jack Mode" so she doesn't lower onto the curb. When I leave, the "Jack Mode" will release within a few feet in "Drive". This works great for me. (I also watch the lines in the rearview camera)

 

[artsci]

Here's what works for me:

I press the camera button on the touchscreen, turn on the Tesla front camera, and see any potential obstacles on the touchscreen. Foolproof

 

[eRandall38]

Do the parking sensors not pick up the curb?

 

[ecarfan]

In my experience the parking sensors do not pick up low objects like curbs.

 

[artsci]

Do the parking sensors not pick up the curb?

The underestimate the distance from low objects like a curb -- not good. The camera shows such obstacles on the touchscreen.

 

[scottm]

I added a generic "backup camera" to the bottom of the nose cone, and have a 7" LCD monitor in the cubby hole under the screen. Total cost is about $50 from ebay. I am going to 3d print a slide out bracket for the monitor that powers it on in the slid out position, and powers off when slid back in. This will be fitted under the cubby so I regain use of the space. BTW the monitor has a config setting to flip image, and another to reverse image so you can buy any common rear backup cam and make it work for the front. I took a picture of the mounted cam and will post it.

- - - Updated - - -

 

[swegman]

Nice install. The elegance of artsci's design is that it uses the existing 17 inch touchscreen.

 

[scottm]

Nice install. The elegance of artsci's design is that it uses the existing 17 inch touchscreen.

Understood, and that would be my first choice, if the image could be reversed or in other words showing the correct orientation of what you're seeing out the front window.

 

[SteveW25561]

Can you post pics of the secondary monitor mount? I've been trying to find a more elegant solution and have settled on a mirror but would prefer to do what you describe.

 

[scottm]

Well, right now the 7" LCD just sits in the cubby, unmounted to anything I have not yet made the bracket to do the under-cubby mounting. But when I do it I will post here and put the stl file up on Thingiverse for others to print themselves.

 

[wcalvin]

Routinely backing in, like the valets do, has a lot of merit if it is not a familiar space (or car). Your outside mirrors help you all the way, and the backup camera stops you in time.

On exit, you can usually see cross traffic far easier than when backing out.

 

[AZ Desert Driver]

I'm always concerned with damaging the front lip when pulling in to a parking spot with a curb in front. My wife discovered that you can use the rear camera to aid in this. When inching forward into the spot, look at the rear camera and as soon as you can see the parking lines, you know you're in the spot. Brilliant.

Here's a picture of my screen once I pulled into the spot. Pretty simple and I hope everyone enjoys using this idea.

View attachment 54634

For my garage, I put a piece of white duck tape on the garage floor just inside where the door will not hit. I turn on the rear camera and wait until I see that pe, and then park. The sensors did not reliably indicate how far way I was from my work bench - some times saying 19", some times saying 12" - just not consistent. The camera clue works just perfectly - in my garage. I also use the camera to indicate grocery store parking lines - just as gavine says.

 

[AZ Desert Driver]

Not so easy to achieve in software as you might think. WhiteP85 spent two months designing the circuit for the camera switch, and this was just to switch between a front and rear image on the touchscreen with two Tesla cameras mounted on the the car -- the stock Tesla camera on the rear and another mounted on the front.

Dear Artsci - I've been trying to get back into the loop for the front facing camera---lost that link so here I am hijacking another thread to try to get to you (or hankloydewright). Please help me reconnect to that forum

 

[Yoona]

I usually "Back in" to a parking spot, so that back up camera automatically comes on and very clearly shows where the curb is. Secondly, rear of the car is much higher compared to the front end and that prevents scuffing. Other times I have used the b/u camera while driving which eliminates most of the blind spots.

Same here. 10/10 times I back up to a parking spot, never front first. Camera solves all the alignment concerns, plus allows quick getaway when it's time to leave.

 

[AZ Desert Driver]

There are a few companies that REQUIRE their employees to always back in. The training has statements like - you are better aware of obstacles when you first arrive at the slot. You are more alert. If an emergency were to occur, you could exit quicker. While exiting, you can see side traffic better. So, lots of reasons to back in. But, I always go into my garage nose first. Too many things to bump into (like work bench). Too close to other car when opening the driver door.
So, I am looking at buying a forward facing camera to assist in nose in during the times where back-in is not convenient. I agree on all the reasons why a B/U camera helps...love using it...but it does not fit in 100% of circumstances. Need a nose camera for the 5-10% exceptions. A chin scrape when the air suspension is low will cost far more than a camera.

 

[Bsilverberg]

I have another idea for all of the cameras on the car. I just came back to my car in a mall parking lot to find that someone had backed into my car and didn’t leave any of their information. I’ve got lots a damage that I will have to absorb.

How about a sensor in the car that would sense the impact and activate all the cameras. You get back into the car and the large touchscreen informs you that it sensed an impact and requests an email address to send the video...

 

[scottm]

I have another idea for all of the cameras on the car. I just came back to my car in a mall parking lot to find that someone had backed into my car and didn’t leave any of their information. I’ve got lots a damage that I will have to absorb.

How about a sensor in the car that would sense the impact and activate all the cameras. You get back into the car and the large touchscreen informs you that it sensed an impact and requests an email address to send the video...

People have talked about Tesla's cams doubling up as dashcams, as a service. There may be a future in it.

But any $60 dashcam would do what you want. A $90 dashcam will get you a more legible license plate... assuming it came into view during the hit. For a couple hundred bucks total stick one in back window too. Double the odds of catching a license.

Even if the hit is not hard enough to trigger the impact sensor... cams record hours of play on big memory cards so just pop the memory card out upon returning the car, and catch all the related video on your laptop.