'Unsafe' $199 device that tricks Tesla's autopilot is banned by US regulators

A $199 device that tricks Tesla's autopilot system into thinking a driver's hands are on the steering wheel has been ruled unsafe by US regulators, who issued a cease and desist order to its makers on Tuesday. The Autopilot Buddy was deemed'unacceptable' by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) because it fools the autopilot into functioning without the driver being able to intervene immediately if anything goes wrong. The Buddy is a magnetic plastic strip that applies enough pressure on the wheel to keep the autopilot driving the car - while usually the system will issue warnings before shutting down if the driver's hands are not detected. Tesla's autopilot system only works if it senses a driver's hands on the steering wheel (as seen in this file photo). The Autopilot Buddy works by mimicking the presence of a driver's hands'A product intended to circumvent motor vehicle safety and driver attentiveness is unacceptable,' said NHTSA Deputy Administrator Heidi King.