In 2021, Tesla began to abandon additional sensors for safety functions, shifting all work to Tesla Vision - cameras. Thus, the manufacturer's newer electric cars did without radar, LiDAR and other auxiliary systems. At the same time, the autopilot functions did not disappear anywhere.
YouTuber Marc Robert decided to see how reliable this option was compared to, for example, a car equipped with LiDAR. Namely, a Lexus crossover. To do this, both cars had to undergo a series of tests in controlled conditions.
Five of the six tests involved a child on a road - static, moving, and with various obstacles (smoke, water, and bright backlight). The final test involved a foam wall, the front of which was covered with a pattern that repeated the road.
Please note that such tests are not conducted in "laboratory" conditions and do not have all the necessary telemetry data for accurate conclusions.
In the very first test, the Tesla failed to perform emergency braking in front of a static child mannequin on the road. However, Robert engaged autopilot, which nevertheless corrected the situation and braked in front of the mannequin in advance. Then the video author decided to use this option for all tests.
The comparison resulted in a complete success for the LiDAR-equipped car, which was able to react to an emergency situation and stop before a collision regardless of the conditions. On the other hand, the Tesla, using only cameras, failed to cope with smoke and heavy rain simulations, in which it could not recognize a pedestrian, and also did not "see" a wall.