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Transportation Security

Tesla Hacker Reveals What Driver-Facing Camera Is Looking For (electrek.co) 71

Posted by BeauHD from the driver-monitoring-features dept.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Electrek: A Tesla hacker has revealed what Tesla's driver-facing camera in Model 3 and Model Y is looking for -- hinting at driver monitoring feature. When Tesla launched the Model 3, it equipped the vehicle with a standard cabin-facing camera located in the rearview mirror. At the time, the automaker said that the camera wasn't active and it would be used in the future. CEO Elon Musk said that it would be used to prevent people from vandalizing cars when they are being driven automatically on Tesla's upcoming self-driving robotaxi network. For almost 3 years, the camera was not used in the Model 3 and Model Y vehicles until earlier this year when Tesla activated the camera for the first time.

Now Tesla hacker 'green', known for revealing many features in Tesla's software, has discovered what events the automaker is trying to detect with the driver-facing camera: BLINDED; DARK; EYES_CLOSED; EYES_DOWN; EYES_NOMINAL; EYES_UP; HEAD_DOWN; HEAD_TRUNC; LOOKING_LEFT; LOOKING_RIGHT; PHONE_USE; SUNGLASSES_EYES_LIKELY_NOMINAL; and SUNGLASSES_LIKELY_EYES_DOWN. Tesla's only active driver monitoring feature when Autopilot is engaged is detecting if torque is being applied to the wheel. Several other driver-assist systems, like GM's Supercruise, are using cabin-facing cameras to make sure drivers are looking at the road. Tesla started collecting images and clips for research purposes, but only with consent from the drivers: "Help Tesla continue to develop safer vehicles by sharing camera data from your vehicle. This update will allow you to enable the built-in cabin camera above the rearview mirror. If enabled, Tesla will automatically capture images and a short video clip just prior to a collision or safety event to help engineers develop safety features and enhancements in the future. As usual, you can adjust your data sharing preferences by tapping Controls > Safety &Security > DATA Sharing > Camera Analytics."
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Tesla Hacker Reveals What Driver-Facing Camera Is Looking For More

Tesla Hacker Reveals What Driver-Facing Camera Is Looking For

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  • PHONE_USE (Score:5, Insightful)

    by nospam007 ( 722110 ) * on Monday October 05, 2020 @06:48PM (#60575548)

    Bad idea. I already see lawmakers plotting a bill to force our cars to snitch on us.

    • Re:PHONE_USE (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Wolfier ( 94144 ) on Monday October 05, 2020 @07:09PM (#60575596)

      I'd say that would be a great idea to curb phone use. Someone who cannot put down the phone while driving or at least enable hands-free, should have their licences revoked and go back to driving class anyway.

      • Agreed! It's pathetic how smartphones are like crack to a TON of people. Makes me sick. They can't put the thing down for 30 seconds. Sad.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by psergiu ( 67614 )

          All Teslas come with excellent BlueTooth hands-free integration for both voice and text messages.
          A QI Wireless charger is now included.
          There is absolutely no sane reason for the driver to have a phone in their hand while driving a Tesla.

      • Someone who cannot put down the phone while driving or at least enable hands-free, should have their licences revoked and go back to driving class anyway.

        Drivers tests should be performed while using a handheld phone. If you can't talk and drive at the same time, you shouldn't be driving at all.

        There are lots of distractions. Don't dumb down the experience, raise the expectations.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by alw53 ( 702722 )
      What the heck is HEAD_TRUNC

  • Forgot the IR I guess (Score:3)

    by AmiMoJo ( 196126 ) on Monday October 05, 2020 @06:52PM (#60575566) Homepage Journal

    Most driver monitoring systems use an IR sensitive camera so they can see right through sunglasses. Sounds like Tesla are re-purposing this camera, it wasn't designed for this.

    Which means people will go from using fruit to put torque on the wheel to wearing sunglasses when they take a nap at 150 kph. And it probably won't work at all for people with dark skin.

    • Sounds like Tesla are re-purposing this camera, it wasn't designed for this.

      But it's there ... so they might as well use it.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        I agree, but there should not be things like SUNGLASSES_EYES_LIKELY_NOMINAL. That's a guess and makes the system easier to fool.

        They should just say "no sunglasses".

    • Your concept of how IR and sunglasses interact needs expansion before you attempt this analysis.

      • Your concept of how IR and sunglasses interact needs expansion before you attempt this analysis.

        Thermal IR is blocked by glass.
        Near infrared isn't blocked by the plastic lens used by a lot of novelty sunglasses.
        You can buy sunglasses with lens that block near IR too, it's becoming popular as a mass-surveillance counter measure and is apparently fashionable in some circles.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by GoTeam ( 5042081 )
          Can you get them with the "near ir" and those super sweet mirrors on the edge of the inside of the lens?

        • False. All false.

          You don't understand that there is a term for how much light is transmitted. You think it might be "blocked."

          But you're wrong.

  • also to be used in self driving mode to id driver that will take the rap.
    Just like that uber driver.

  • ELECTRICAL_TAPE (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Rick Schumann ( 4662797 ) on Monday October 05, 2020 @07:06PM (#60575586) Journal
    Does it have that?
    How about: MIDDLE_FINGER ?

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by dgatwood ( 11270 )

      Does it have that?

      I'm guessing that's what "BLINDED" is.

      How about: MIDDLE_FINGER ?

      Now that would be useful in terms of knowing when to send video data if they want footage of other drivers doing stupid things. :-)

      • The point is I don't want nor would I tolerate being watched and listened to when driving, not for any reason.
        Of course I have no interest whatsoever in 'self driving' anything, and in fact am against the entire idea for reasons.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by pezpunk ( 205653 )

          crybaby. you'd let others die because you're a coward.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by psergiu ( 67614 )

          Controls > Safety & Security > Data Sharing > Camera Analytics > Off

          You can disable all the "Fancy" options in a Tesla and just drive-it yourself like a '90s car.
          The Self-Driving is not even enabled by default. You have to pay for it 1st :)

    • Better still: GOATSE

    • Don't buy one.

  • Sounds like a self-incriminating move. Would anyone voluntarily help?

  • Wish they would use this to check who was driving and which phone should be connected to bluetooth and which should be marked as a passenger...

    • How about this. You go through a red light but the picture taken by the red light camera is blurry or not lit well. In court, tou challenge the ticket claiming the police can't be sure it was you driving the car.

      "Hello, Tesla? We need to see the video footage from inside the car on and from . The warrant will be sent over in a few moments."

      • For Red Light Cameras - - Last time I checked (in Germany at least) it doesn't matter. Ticket goes to the Registered Owner. Not you driving? Unless you've reported it stolen Your Car equals Your Ticket

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by cusco ( 717999 )

          It's the same in most of the US, the ticket goes to the vehicle owner since anyone driving the vehicle is assumed to have the owner's permission. Even more expensive, the bump in car insurance rates with each ticket also goes to the owner of the vehicle. There are a lot of parent-owned vehicles driven by 16 year-olds, since getting insurance for a 16 year-old driver is extremely expensive. The parent is supposed to list the kid as a driver (or primary driver if they are the main one driving it), which is

  • Nope, no. (Score:4, Insightful)

    by thedarb ( 181754 ) on Monday October 05, 2020 @07:21PM (#60575634)

    Same reason I won't buy a toyota, they have that shit.

    My car will not be monitoring me. That data can only be used against me. If the cars features won't work with the camera lense burned out, then I'm not buying the car.

    Either make it fully self driving, or not. But no watching me fucking drive, and certainly no babysitting me whilst I baby sit your companies incomplete self driving package. Watching me is NOT fixing your self driving software, it's looking to pin liability for your car's issues on me.

    So no, just no.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by Monoman ( 8745 )

      Why do you think the data can ONLY be used against you? It is likely to work for the average person just as much as it will against them. For those that are very cautious or those that are very irresponsible the percentages will change.

      • Ok, give one way the data helps the car owner... allowing for the fact the car oiwner doesn't even get access to the data in the first place.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by olau ( 314197 )

          Well, theoretically:

          1) Threat is incoming from the other side of what you are looking at. Car sees that you can't see it and takes countermeasure/starts beeping.

          2) You're involved in a crash and the other party claims you were looking at your phone. Police subpoenas Tesla to get hold of camera data which shows you were paying attention.

          • 1) Not driver data
            2) Police don't care. If there's a reckless driving charge, other evidence will make it obvious. And in the scenario you describe, you aren't going to pay the court fees to subpoena Tesla for your own info to fight the insurance claim, because that's the only way you'll get access to it.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Monoman ( 8745 )

          There are plenty of folks using cam footage from their Tesla to help them provide evidence for vandalism and accidents. You can plug in a USB to store the footage or get fancy with something like https://github.com/marcone/tes... [github.com]

    • You'd better disable your SRS too. The computer in there stores 30 seconds of data both before and if possible after an airbag is fired. It includes information like pedal states and speed sensor output. If you're worried about a camera snitching on you, you ought to be utterly incensed about the airbag computer.

  • So when it detects someone driving while using a phone, but allows that to continue, where does the legal boundary of responsibility lie?

    With the driver? Or with the car that is deliberately coded to detect a dangerous situation and then decided to do nothing about it? What if there is a fatal accident, is the car still not at fault for allowing the driver to continue even though it detected they were compromised? But yet it's not at fault if it applies the ABS in a safety braking situation? Where do yo

  • A small piece of black electrical tape (Score:5, Funny)

    by mschuyler ( 197441 ) on Monday October 05, 2020 @07:42PM (#60575690) Homepage Journal

    A small piece of black plastic electrical tape ought to fix this issue permanently. Simple solutions to complex problems since 1945

    • Especially since it has parking mode.

      You'll yell at the tape for a few hours, but eventually you're going to pull it off and head back out on the road.

  • HEAD_TRUNC - does this mean they're anticipating their drivers to have their heads separated from their bodies? Or are they marketing to Nukekubi/Rokurokubi?

    **when HEAD_TRUNC == TRUE, call autodrive**

  • It seems like it actually might be a really great idea, to detect when the driver is blinded and maybe provide some emergency driving assists like auto-braking if you are about to hit something, to to snap back to road lane if you are drifting (though that last one is more questionable).

    Same deal if a persons gaze is diverted strongly to the dies of the car, instead of where it is going.

    It also provides some interesting data to help improve the driving AI. If the driver suddenly looks at something - why?

    • That was my first thought, however an earlier poster suggested something perhaps more plausible - it detects when the camera is blinded (ie. tape), not the driver.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by psergiu ( 67614 )

      It already does the "snap back to road lane if you are drifting" - which is sometimes annoying when you are switching lanes and you don't have the turn signal on while the car starts crossing the divider line.
      But i'm not disabling this feature as it already saved me once.

  • NOMINAL (Score:3)

    by DesertNomad ( 885798 ) on Monday October 05, 2020 @08:38PM (#60575774)

    Definitely some folks trained in systems engineering / aerospace industry writing that code.

    • I'd be more surprised if their systems code wasn't written by systems people.

      I don't even have a degree, and I always use engineering terms in my engineering.

  • MASTURBATING
  • You can tell because he has a mask on while is alone in a car and at no risk of droplets.

  • Nope (Score:3)

    by sinij ( 911942 ) on Monday October 05, 2020 @11:00PM (#60576098)
    Every time I am starting thinking about buying a Tesla, something like this comes out. Why would I sign up for a very least active monitoring and quite possibly producing incriminating evidence from my own car? PHONE_USE flag during crash? Good luck explaining to anyone that algorithm is only 66% accurate and you were just scratching your balls.

    • If scratching your balls can be mistaken for talking on a cellphone, scientists across the planet would like to meet you... because you must be a frickin' alien. And put your balls away already.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by psergiu ( 67614 )

      The video prior to the crash is recorded, so the judge will be able to examine the location of your hands.

      Also: Now that Tesla implemented this, all the other manufacturers will follow suit soon.
      Hang on to your old car, buddy, while it's still road-legal or give in and wash your balls more often so they're not so itchy.

  • I do not want to buy an automobile that spies on me constantly, reporting my speed, location and now apparently, my facial expression back to some eye in the sky somewhere. Even in the Slashdot comments above, some enterprising person is suggesting that this rear-view mirror camera would be a swell tool to snitch on people who are talking on their phone while driving. If someone here has thought of this, you can be sure that the busybody totalitarian lawmakers have thought of it as well, and will soon be

  • did they just forget to declare that constant?

  • Controls > Safety &Security > DATA Sharing > Camera

    ... right next to the lavatory with the sign "beware of the leopard".

  • Hi,
    just an engineer who works on equipment for semi-automated driving dropping by to point out that every OEM (of cars) that is rolling out automated driving features either has or is in theprocess of installing driver-facing cameras. And with good reason.
    The question of information storage and information dissemination should be entirely separate from what actions can be taken inside a moving vehicle. There's no reason we couldn't have a law banning storage or transmission of the driver-facing camera dat

  • I noticed that there is no case for EYES_DOWN_BECAUSE_THEYRE_LOOKING_AT_THE_DAMN_ TOUCHSCREEN_SINCE_WE_DIDNT_PROVIDE_ANY_TACTILE_CONTROLS option. I guess it will just register as EYES_DOWN or HEAD_DOWN in those cases but I really have to wonder where the legal liability would fall in that case.

    Note: You can thank Slashdot's filters for forcing me to split the enum value into two and thus ruining the joke. Seriously, Slashdot? No more anonymous posts AND I can't make a damned joke? You're starting to

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by psergiu ( 67614 )

      Just try driving a Tesla.
      I had the same fear before getting mine, but i found out that the only times i'm looking at the screen while driving are:
      - Check my speed - big digits visible in peripheral vision
      - Looking at the map - large screen shows more of the map so you can see in advance any tricky GPS direction changes;
      - What song is currently playing;
      - Battery state-of-charge.
      I was doing the same glances with my old car, but looking at the small-screen GPS way more (sometimes scrolling the screen to see wh

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