Word "Autopilot": To ban or not to ban?

[boofagle]

I believe that no matter what Tesla tries to do, the term AUTO will draw up images of cars driving themselves and the term AUTOnomous and for the ley person they don't relate it to the aeronautical term. For clarity sake and to just avoid any future headaches, they should rename it to CO-PILOT which, in my opinion, denotes that they car is here to assist you but you are still the pilot. When full autonomous level 4 comes then they can change it back to autopilot.

 

[Johann Koeber]

At this point in time is it not
lane holding and TACC?

My suggestion is "driver assist"

 

[thegruf]

Who cares what it is called.
I think Tesla should grab this as a massive marketing opportunity and change the name of Autopilot to -well- anything really and just use it as a way to get the press talking about how much better it is than anyone else system all over again.

In fact go one step further and hold a worldwide competition "

Tesla competition to rename autopilot to satisfy regulators"

Then in their sales material they can link by saying

"Tesla's autopilot system called .... which provides the most advanced driver assistance functionality currently available ...

Free press opportunity - gotta love it

 

[flashflood]

Since Elon appreciates a good cultural reference, I suggest they call it "the technology formerly known as Autopilot, which is now represented by a blue and white steering wheel symbol." In media which cannot conveniently render the symbol, it will simply be called "the technology."

 

[Xenoilphobe]

I like Ottopilot - from the movie Airplane - it aligns with ludicrous, maximum plaid, etc. and even the idiots will understand the capability.

 

[essmd]

The Airplane movie reference is fun, but what 1.0 really does is "Assist" the driver, and does not "pilot" a vehicle "autonomously" especially after 8.0

While it's a discussion of semantics, the most appropriate term may "Driver Assist", which is close to what Audi offers called "Traffic Assist".

 

[voyager]

What struck me, is that it is awful quiet on the Google robo pod front... Symptomatic?

Don't forget to vote: Will you share your Tesla?

 

[BluestarE3]

In the wake of Germany's objection to the use of the term "Autopilot", Tesla announced it will rename their driver assistance feature in that country to "Otto pilot".

Otto the Pilot

So there IS an Otto pilot after all!
Uber’s Otto completes first shipment by self-driving truck: an autonomous beer run with Budweiser

He's a beer swilling truck driver to boot!