--- title: "Elon Musk: Camera Inside Teslas is “Meant for Robotaxi” Mode" description: "According to a Wednesday tweet by CEO Elon Musk, the cameras mounted above rear view mirrors of Model 3s are \"meant for robotaxi.\"" date: "2019-10-23" modified: "2019-10-23" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-camera-robotaxi" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "Tesla" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "Model 3" - "self-driving taxi" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk: Camera Inside Teslas is “Meant for Robotaxi” Mode ![According to a Wednesday tweet by CEO Elon Musk, the cameras mounted above rear view mirrors of Model 3s are "meant for robotaxi."]() *\Image: Tesla\* ## Cabin Fever Every Tesla Model 3 is equipped with a mysterious camera that faces the inside of the cabin, mounted just above the rear view mirror. Tesla claims the camera is [completely inactive](), but the car company seemingly has big plans in store for it. According to a [Wednesday tweet]() by CEO Elon Musk, the camera is "meant for robotaxi" — a reference, according to [*Electrek*'s analysis](), to Musk's plans for a [fleet of Tesla-operated self-driving taxis](). ## Sing Sing Musk was responding to a Twitter user who [suggested]() using the camera to "record Caraoke sessions." Caraoke is a [new feature]() introduced in Tesla's newest software update that allows passengers to sing their hearts out to a set list of tracks while the car is in park. But our read of Musk's response is that instead, the camera is designed to keep an eye on unsupervised passengers riding in driverless taxis. ## Patent Trap A patent application [discovered by *Electrek*]() in July also suggested the cabin-facing camera could be used to personalize the experience of driving a Model 3. For instance, the vehicle could apply certain settings depending on which passenger it detects. But Musk is now connecting the cameras to an old plan. During Tesla's Autonomy Day back in April, Musk [claimed]() that "there will be autonomous robotaxis from Tesla next year — not in all jurisdictions because we won’t have regulatory approval everywhere." **READ MORE:** [Elon Musk: Tesla’s cabin-facing camera is ‘meant for robotaxi’, but open to other options]() \[*Electrek*\] **More on self-driving taxis:** *[Test Riders in Waymo’s Self-Driving Cars Won’t Stop Complaining]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()