Tesla Model Y has new wipers move in robotaxi mode as mics stay on to pull over for first responders

The cabin camera in a Tesla robotaxi may turn on only when calling support, but the microphones stay active at all times.

A video with a driverless Model Y pulling over for an ambulance shows why. In the info brief prior to its Robotaxi service launch in Austin, TX over the weekend, Tesla detailed why it needs to keep the cabin mics switched on.

They are apparently listening for sirens from first responder vehicles so that the "unsupervised" FSD software branch that the robotaxis are running on can react and pull over, according to Tesla:

Sound detection also allows Robotaxi to automatically detect and appropriately react to the road environment (such as a nearby siren and yielding to approaching emergency vehicles). When a safety event is detected, the media volume inside the cabin is lowered and the rider is notified on the center touchscreen. Safety event sound detection is processed locally on the vehicle and is not associated with your Tesla account. Meaning the system cannot save or transmit this information to Tesla, even in the occurrence of a safety critical event, unless you choose to opt-in.

A neat demonstration in the nighttime Tesla robotaxi ride video below shows that the feature works as intended. The Model Y detected ambulance sirens before the passengers registered them and pulled over by the side of the road to let the first responder vehicle pass, then continued to its destination.

New Model Y wiper mode

Tesla has developed more such FSD assists for when its cars, like the driverless Model Y that is currently cruising Austin, are in robotaxi mode. It, for example, has introduced a new Model Y windshield wipers cleaning routine that makes a triple pass at the area directly before the front-facing FSD camera.

The goal is to remove any dust or pollen that may have accumulated to obstruct the view, even though the windshield may look clean to the passengers, says Tesla's Yun-Ta Tsai:

It’s optimized for the camera view, not the passenger view. The windshield from the passenger side might look clean, but dust could accumulate over time. Thus, it’s proactively cleaning from time to time. Normally people would not notice how Waymo cleans their car because their sensor suite is on top of the roof - but they clean a lot since even light dust could create undesired diffraction patterns for LiDARs.

While the advantage of Tesla's robotaxi mode is that it doesn't need to use a complex sensor suite with LiDAR to function, the FSD cameras still need to be cleaned more often as an added safety precaution. Tesla didn't say whether the new windshield wiper routine will make it to regular owners who drive on FSD and may benefit from proactive cleaning, too.