Self-driving car pranks are still in their early days, but show great promise. The latest Tesla Autopilot goof to hit the internet comes from YouTuber and prankster Rahat. According to BGR, Rahat designed a clever costume that makes him look like the driver's seat of his Tesla Model S. Tailored with his mother's help, the costume is, essentially, a jacket that matches the car's interior fabric and a mask that resembles the driver's seat headrest.
Pranks may not be what Tesla Motors intended its Autopilot feature to be used for, but at least this guy didn't put people's lives at risk. The old "empty Tesla driving itself in traffic" gag has been done numerous times on YouTube, but Rahat's version is at least safer. Instead of hiding in the foot well or back seat with the autopilot on, where he'd be useless if there were an error in the car's systems, he is sitting at the wheel disguised as the seat. That way he can control the car and monitor the autopilot safely while still making it look like the car is empty.
Rahat took his costume rig out for a test. With his window down in stop-and-go traffic, he recorded the reactions of numerous passing vehicles to the seemingly empty Tesla. Reactions from witnesses ran the gamut from bemusement to incredulity to stunned silence. Along with the two-minute prank video, Rahat also uploaded a thirty-minute behind the scenes video showing how he constructed the costume.
​Using Tesla's autopilot feature to play pranks on the unsuspecting is a growing trend. From the graduate-level parenting of this dad to the questionable judgement of this owner, using the autopilot feature for pranks and uploading the videos to YouTube makes for great, often hilarious viewing. Get your fill, before such sights are common place, and we laugh about anyone being freaked out by a driverless car.
Related Video:
Pranks may not be what Tesla Motors intended its Autopilot feature to be used for, but at least this guy didn't put people's lives at risk. The old "empty Tesla driving itself in traffic" gag has been done numerous times on YouTube, but Rahat's version is at least safer. Instead of hiding in the foot well or back seat with the autopilot on, where he'd be useless if there were an error in the car's systems, he is sitting at the wheel disguised as the seat. That way he can control the car and monitor the autopilot safely while still making it look like the car is empty.
Rahat took his costume rig out for a test. With his window down in stop-and-go traffic, he recorded the reactions of numerous passing vehicles to the seemingly empty Tesla. Reactions from witnesses ran the gamut from bemusement to incredulity to stunned silence. Along with the two-minute prank video, Rahat also uploaded a thirty-minute behind the scenes video showing how he constructed the costume.
​Using Tesla's autopilot feature to play pranks on the unsuspecting is a growing trend. From the graduate-level parenting of this dad to the questionable judgement of this owner, using the autopilot feature for pranks and uploading the videos to YouTube makes for great, often hilarious viewing. Get your fill, before such sights are common place, and we laugh about anyone being freaked out by a driverless car.
Related Video:
Sign in to post
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Continue