First-Gen Autonomy (Tesla Autopilot HW1)
Tesla ships the sensor hardware; lane-keeping (Autosteer) follows a year later, in 2015.
Explore this event on the interactive timeline →Tesla began equipping the Model S with "Hardware 1," a suite of sensors designed to assist the driver with highway cruising, marking the first widespread commercial attempt at consumer-level autonomous driving.
Key Numbers
- Architecture
- Hardcoded Heuristics
- Hardware Suite
- Mobileye + Radar (HW1)
Verified Facts
- Hardware 1 relied on a partnership with Mobileye. It used a single forward-facing camera, radar, and ultrasonic sensors.
- The underlying logic was heavily reliant on hardcoded C++ rules and heuristics (e.g., "if lane line is detected, steer left").
- While revolutionary at the time, it was strictly a Level 2 driver-assistance system, requiring constant human supervision and hands on the wheel.