Tesla driver pulled over after wearing new Apple vision headset on highway

https://www.the-express.com/tech/tech-news/126783/tesla-Apple-Vision-pro-driver-pulled-over

by taimurkazmi • 2 years ago

71 103 2 years ago

throwup2383• 2 years ago

The end of the video just shows him in a parking lot with a couple of cop cars driving behind him, not of a cop actually coming to his window. I think this is staged BS made for internet points.

Edit: Called it.

Update 10:17 AM EST: When contacted by Gizmodo, Dante Lentini confirmed that the video was a “skit” that he made with friends and that he wasn’t arrested.

https://gizmodo.com/apple-vision-pro-tesla-driver-arrested-a...

2024throwaway• 2 years ago

I have seen several videos of people actively driving while wearing the headset. Not sure why you think it is staged.

throwup2383• 2 years ago

If he had actually been pulled over, he would have shown the interaction with police.

lotsofpulp• 2 years ago

Probably prudent to assume everything is staged (or misrepresented). “Ragebait” is the term for this type of media, I think.

solarpunk• 2 years ago

it's almost like this is pure conspicuous consumption.

qmarchi• 2 years ago

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

As someone who was in an accident less than a week ago due to an inattentive driver:

## PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE ROAD. YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE THERE.

golergka• 2 years ago

How is that different from cars that project information on the windshield? The virtual windows are right there in front of you where the road is, not a smartphone that you have to move your eyes to.

(This is an question, not an argument. I don't drive, so I honestly don't understand).

ender341341• 2 years ago

Mostly cause externally it's impossible to tell if they're watching a movie or just have some sort of HUD up for navigation.

nwiswell3• 2 years ago

Mainly because laws. Refer to CA Veh Code § 23120 (2022)

No person shall operate a motor vehicle while wearing glasses having a temple width of one-half inch or more if any part of such temple extends below the horizontal center of the lens so as to interfere with lateral vision.

FWIW, I think this is entirely legitimate, since your peripheral vision is definitely impaired. That wouldn't be the case if the information was on a HUD instead.

But even if there was some hypothetical VR headset that has perfect peripheral vision pass-through, it's still at best ambiguously legal until the legislature takes action.

By the way, a HUD is probably illegal too, CA Veh Code § 26708 (2022)

(2) A person shall not drive any motor vehicle with any object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied in or upon the vehicle that obstructs or reduces the driver's clear view through the windshield or side windows.

There is a list of exceptions to this, but none appear to apply.

haswell• 2 years ago

I think this is extremely different for a few reasons:

1. When the car’s projector stops working, you can still see through your windshield (I realize AVP can keep rolling the cameras in some circumstances, but not all)

2. The info projected on the windshield is inherently limited to a few key indicators vs. an open ended OS that can display almost anything

3. The windshield projector doesn’t eliminate your peripheral vision and hamper your field of view

connicpu• 2 years ago

The difference is interaction. I haven't ever been in a car with a windshield HUD, but I assume it doesn't require specific driver interaction to use. Using your smartphone while driving is also very illegal and can get you an expensive ticket. Anything that shifts your attention away from the road is dangerous, even if it's "in front of you". Passive information is very different from interactive menus.

mattlondon• 2 years ago

I have no idea having not used an apple headset but a few thoughts are: latency compared to real-world, reduced peripheral vision, but probably the biggest is distraction

neilk• 2 years ago

The latency of passthrough video through glass windows is really good. Like way less than 1ms. Also, they’ve figured out how the passthrough keeps working even if the device isn’t powered.

eslaught• 2 years ago

How is that different from cars that project information on the windshield?

Are there any cars like that?

At any rate, for such cars to receive regulatory approval, they would need to be vetted to ensure that the UI elements don't exacerbate blind spots or hide critical pieces of the road, etc. The Apple UI is not designed with that in mind and may not give any such guarantees, and even if it were, it's still possible to abuse. There is also a formal process for removing such cars from the road if it turns out that they don't function as expected; whereas chasing down Apple Pro Vision users is left to the relevant highway patrol units.

Even if, in theory, the Apple device could be used safely, what happens in practice is far more important than theoretical use cases.

Gare• 2 years ago

Apple VisionPro is not see-through, you are looking at a camera feed.

alkonaut3• 2 years ago

Isn’t the headset constraining your FOV?

fnordlord• 2 years ago

I imagine it's also not truly see-through so if there's any kind of technical issue where the screen turns off or goes black, or it decides to put windows up where your eyes are focused, you are driving with a blindfold on.

sumtechguy• 2 years ago

The one I have for my car is very basic info. Current speed, posted speed, and next turn/lane if I am using navigation. I think it can show current radio station if I scroll it from the steering wheel. Callerid if someone calls and I have it set to use bluetooth. I find it very nice as I do not have to take my eyes off the road.

That sort of headset looks like it would obstruct a good amount of your peripheral vision.

buildbuildbuild• 2 years ago

Other issues aside, a person could not pass a driving vision test wearing Vision Pro. Its resolution is great but not that great, especially in extreme lighting.

You also lose most of your peripheral vision while wearing it.

A future model certified for driving, redundant and paired with a car’s cameras/sensors would be completely “Air Force” awesome but we are not there yet.

sph• 2 years ago

Who are you gonna sue when the VR headset lags for a few ms and causes an accident?

Information drawn on a windshield is very different than outside world captured by CCD sensors, processed and reprojected on a low-resolution, low-FOV screen.

roughly• 2 years ago

Vision’s field of vision is ~100deg or so, so it substantially impacts peripheral vision and awareness. The cameras add almost, but not actually, zero lag or visual distortion, so visual acuity is impacted. The Vision windows occlude anything behind them, whereas typical car HUDs do much less of this. The car hud is also usually limited to information directly related to driving, whereas the Vision is not, and while it’s possible the user was only using a navigation app off to the bottom corner, I’ve got my doubts.

agloe_dreams• 2 years ago

The Vision Pro is not an actual AR headset - it does not offer optical passthrough. Just digital reprojection of the exterior cameras. In case of a bug or crash, you are now blind.

WesleyJohnson• 2 years ago

When you're wearing the headset, you're not truly seeing what's in front of you in realtime; it's not a window. Instead, you're seeing a video using the cameras on the exterior of the device which is then streamed to the displays on the interior. This introduces latency. The published stats are something absurd, like 12ms which is allegedly faster than the human eye can even perceive, but what if there's a CPU spike and lag?

On top of that, the FOV is much more restricted in the headset than the average human's, and there is noticeable distortion introduced at the edges of the displays as documented by several reviews. So you're seeing less than you normally would, and it's warped.

Those things aside, if you're wearing the VR headset, it's likely you're doing something that is pulling your focus away from the act of driving.

jacobsenscott• 2 years ago

The AVP is not transparent like a windshield. They make it look like transparent ski googles, but it isn't. It has cameras pointing forward, and it displays that on the screen inside the headset. So all kinds of things will go wrong - the display can lag, freeze, turn off, etc. It would be like driving down the highway in reverse using only your backup camera.

Yizahi• 2 years ago

It is extremely different.

1. Field of View alone is the reason enough to ban it on the road. You don't see shit to the sides.

2. The amount of data presented (area) is an order of magnitude more in a case of a VR helmet than a typical HUD.

3. The type of content presented is way different, in the car the content is "boring" it's just a steady stream of telemetry so to say. No one stares at the tachometer most of the time they ride without interruptions. Unlike some media content like a movie, game, stream etc.

4. The brightness of the content is way higher than of a HUD.

5. Headphones block external sounds.

ocrow• 2 years ago

AR goggles have a relatively narrow field of vision making it less likely to notice peripheral movement, such is critical for driving. They have quite short battery life – just a couple of hours. When they fail, you are effectively blind until you remove them. They can also fail due to a software glitch or crash. Removing the goggles can be disorienting and fiddly. They can be set so that there is little or no passthrough of external video – which would be highly hazardous, even if done accidentally. It's not really possible to establish eye contact with someone wearing AR goggles, which can be important when interacting with a driver. They're also not legal eyewear for driving.

godelski3• 2 years ago

How is that different from cars that project information on the windshield?

Pass-through is done by cameras, not by window. This would more be like not having a actual windshield but a monitor. So you have the same issues of delay, ability for the device to malfunction and go completely black, glitches, etc. Though it is a bit worse, you have a very constrained field of view, so you aren't able to see any of the things from the side. Which you may not always consciously notice, but your brain sure does account for that information.

williamcotton3• 2 years ago

This extends to taking your damn time when the light goes green at an intersection during rush hour, entering a freeway 20 mph below the flow of traffic, and not using your turn signals.

Serenity now, serenity now!

switchbak• 2 years ago

Taking your time when the light turns green makes sense when there's a bunch of jackasses speeding up to zip in before (and sometimes after) the light turns red.

Or at least paying attention and using caution, even though the light says you're clear to proceed.

midasuni• 2 years ago

Sorry but anyone going because it’s green and not because it’s safe needs removing from the road.

neofrommatrix• 2 years ago

Oh man! You hit a nerve there. The number of drivers I come across on a daily basis who refuse to use their turn signals is insane.

rootusrootus6• 2 years ago

Of course it was a Tesla driver. Sigh. I like this car well enough, but dammit sometimes I don't want to be associated with the fans.

markn951• 2 years ago

“Sometimes”?

carrja99• 2 years ago

You and me both, buddy. You and me both.

Elon fans are the absolute worst.

cpncrunch2• 2 years ago

Or the CEO.

epolanski2• 2 years ago

Especially the CEO.

shakow2• 2 years ago

Its CEO's flaws are more publicized than any other car companies, but I think it's better to separate the CEO from your everyday car. People most probably do not support evading Japanese sovereign law when driving a Renault, pissing on environmental regulations when driving a VW or maintaining the iron grip of a familial dynasty on South Korea when driving a Samsung.

Compared to the people at this level, most of us here are mere peons trying to find the best fit for our daily driver.

kunai2• 2 years ago

I like how efficient Teslas are and their class-leading range but the idiotic proliferation of touchscreens in mission-critical applications (like dashboards and control panels) is largely their fault, and they show no signs of stopping it. The new Model 3 has touch turn signals and none of the cars have had physical gear selectors for a long time because Musk thinks that they're unnecessary (lol). Why? Just why? Keeps me from buying one. Swipe to go into reverse? Really?

What's worse than that is that their fans ooh and ahh at this sort of cost-cutting nonsense because it "looks cool and futuristic" when it's far less functional (and frankly, more dangerous) than what it replaced. Apple already took their heel-turn with killing off the Touch Bar. Honda and VW both have scaled back touchscreen controls on their latest model vehicles. The F-35's touchscreen avionics have had problems and newer aircraft fielded (like the new F-15) tend to have more mechanical button backups while also retaining the advantages and flexibility of large flat-panel displays.

Musk's companies are the odd ones out here in terms of going the opposite direction. It's long overdue for them to correct this.

adolph3• 2 years ago

none of the cars have had physical gear selectors

what do you need a gear selector for? There is only one gear: “Single-speed fixed (9:1 ratio)”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_Model_3

rootusrootus6• 2 years ago

touch turn signals

Agree 100%. This might very well mean that my current (which is my second) Model 3 is my last. The gear selector is annoying but it's possible I could overlook that detail if the rest of the car is executed flawlessly.

dymk2• 2 years ago

It's fine to grill this particular dude for his stupid behavior, but can you not insult everybody who has a Tesla because of this?

I don't even drive one and it's second-hand embarrassing seeing people make cheap jabs like this.

---

Come on, this is in your bio:

HN is going through a wave of morons, probably refugees from Reddit.

Do you see the irony?

dmix• 2 years ago

Hating on Tesla/Musk companies is one of the biggest trends on the internet right now, so that's going to be like asking people to be reasonable about Palestine. It goes well beyond rational reasons - well into identity/ideology - which on social media is usually an impenetrable wall when seeking nuance.

rootusrootus6• 2 years ago

I appreciate that some people read the rants I put in my HN profile.

I don't think it makes me a moron to recognize that Tesla has attracted a disproportionate number of enthusiasts who believe so strongly in the company and it's technology that they'll do dumb shit like turn on AP and then go to the back seat of the car. If you get into any kind of serious discussion, it doesn't take long to meet these people.

Besides, I wasn't insulting everyone who has a Tesla. I called out the fans specifically. Tesla has sold millions of cars, at this point most are not driven by fans.

alkonaut3• 2 years ago

Tesla is the best thing that ever happened to BMW. Its brand is no longer the strongest indicator of an asshat in traffic.

rootusrootus6• 2 years ago

Interesting, do you really think it's that bad? I feel like most Teslas I see on the road are driven more like a Honda Civic than any kind of BMW. But it's not really fair to pick on BMW drivers either, I see plenty of asshats in cars of all makes & models.

My biggest complaint about other Teslas on the road are the headlights. I dialed my own down a couple notches to reduce the glare. But I see plenty of other Model 3s (and especially Ys for some reason) that are aimed way too high. They come from the factory this way.

account-5• 2 years ago

Of course it was a Tesla driver and an early apple adopter.

How do you even convince yourself this is a good idea?!

ok_dad• 2 years ago

There have been numerous videos of idiots wearing a Vision Pro in vehicles and on busy streets and other places. The dumbest of the dumb seem to have gotten all of the preorders this time. I saw one of a person in a cybertruck and it’s 7000+ pounds of mass moving down the highway.

smoldesu• 2 years ago

It's a bit silly to pretend like the Vision Pro was destined for surgeons and rocket scientists. We did the same cat-and-mouse routine chasing down real-world workflows in Windows Mixed Reality, and the US Army was the only organization willing to foot the bill. The idiots are likely Apple's largest market, here.

dotcoma2• 2 years ago

And porn addicts, maybe?

RajT88• 2 years ago

Reminds me of some of the Glassholes I met back when that was a thing.

Take that stupid fucking thing off your face when you're talking to me. All you're proving is that you have $1500 to set on fire.

mouth• 2 years ago

I thought this VR headset started at $3,500?

matsemann• 2 years ago

I'm sure everyone using this in public right now is 100 % doing it to get attention and show off. It looks quite dorky, though. But who knows, maybe it works for Apple the same way the iPod or AirPods became a fashion article.

mdhb• 2 years ago

There is zero chance that strapping a giant rectangular box to your face is going to considered anything other than very weird by the majority of people.

thomasmg• 2 years ago

I was skiing last week, where ski goggles are the norm... So yes, currently it might be weird, but things change. Did you watch or read "Ready Player One"? There it is the norm.

ChicagoBoy11• 2 years ago

As a (so far happy) Vision Pro owner, I completely agree with you. However, I remember when they launched the AirPods how just so immediately repulsed I was by that thing, how I truly felt like it looked like a tampon coming out of someone's ear, yet somehow, here we are. I grant you that this is, to put it mildly, a bit more of a stretch. But if somehow wearing VR glasses (don't care what apple says, these are VR glasses) will become mainstream, something tells me they'll be the ones to pull it off.

dotcoma2• 2 years ago

I really hope you’re right!

dymk2• 2 years ago

If anyone can make it normal, it's Apple

jes51992• 2 years ago

google glass looks downright subtle by comparison

bdcravens• 2 years ago

In related news, approximately 4000 people are pulled over and arrested per day for DWI.

vardump2• 2 years ago

See https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39261349 (exact reply: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39262976)

> Update 10:17 AM EST: When contacted by Gizmodo, Dante Lentini confirmed that the video was a “skit” that he made with friends and that he wasn’t arrested.

Tesla anything and it's front page news.

dns_snek• 2 years ago

I don't know whether this belongs to HN, but how does that update change anything?

Does recklessly endangering other people for internet points make it less serious than doing it out of pure ignorance? If anything, I'd say it makes it more serious.

vardump2• 2 years ago

I'm assuming it's done with video tricks, like compositing etc. I'd certainly hope no one was actually endangering anything!

dang• 2 years ago

For a few minutes, and then users will probably flag it off. This is the cycle of life on HN.

MichaelZuo• 2 years ago

This 'taimurkazmi' user seems to post a huge number of 'flagged' or 'dead' submissions, so probably has some axe to grind, as judged by those with flagging permissions at least.

JackFr• 2 years ago

Without having seen the video, from the details in the article, I will assume it was either staged or fake.

29decibel• 2 years ago

Surprise to me that the iPhone do not allow you to use while driving the car, while Vision Pro is fine?

throwio• 2 years ago

This is what makes America great. Things like this never happen in my country..

radar1310• 2 years ago

It doesn’t take long for the morons to appear.

Tesla driver pulled over after wearing new Apple vision headset on highway

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