We’ve all seen the scene from the Road Runner cartoon where Wile E. Coyote painted a realistic road scene on a wall, hoping to trick his speedy nemesis. It turns out that gag works on more than just animated animals. YouTuber Mark Rober recently put Tesla’s Autopilot to the test with a similar setup, and the results were eye-opening.

Rober constructed a large styrofoam wall, painted to perfectly resemble a continuation of the road. It was a classic cartoon trap designed to expose the limitations of camera-based driver-assistance systems.

While the Tesla Model Y performed admirably in earlier tests – stopping for both stationary and moving mannequins – it completely missed the mark, literally, when fog and rain were present on the road. However, the real shocker came with the painted wall.

The video is making the rounds, and for good reason. It shows the Model Y cruising at 40 mph with Autopilot engaged, heading straight for the faux road. There’s no braking and no swerving — just a straight-on collision with the styrofoam. Meanwhile, a Lexus RX, used as a control vehicle and equipped with lidar, had no trouble detecting the wall and stopping safely.

So, what’s the core issue here? Lidar uses lasers to create a 3D map of its surroundings, “seeing” the wall as a solid object. Tesla’s Autopilot, relying solely on cameras, interpreted the image of a road as the real thing. It’s a fundamental difference in how these technologies perceive the world.

This failure isn’t an isolated incident. Past reports have documented Autopilot’s struggles with stationary objects, particularly at night. Tesla CEO Elon Musk once said that lidar is “a crutch.”

It’s important to keep some facts in mind: Autopilot is only a Level 2 system. Drivers are supposed to be alert and ready to take over at any moment. These systems are helpful, sure, but they’re nowhere near perfect.

So, while the video provides a good chuckle, it also serves as a stark reminder. Technology is amazing, but it’s not foolproof. A painted wall might seem like a silly obstacle, but it effectively demonstrates the very real limitations of relying too heavily on current “self-driving” tech.

We’re still a long way from truly autonomous vehicles, so drivers should always maintain a healthy dose of skepticism and pay close attention.

Beep! Beep!