Business Insider, 8-21-2016 -- Tesla will soon be releasing an update to its Autopilot system, reports Electrek.

The carmaker has updated its hardware design to fully embrace the capabilities of the new semi-autonomous driving system, and vehicles with these new specifications will be produced soon, according to the report.

The new Autopilot system will employ a trio of front-facing cameras paired with an enhanced radar array. Tesla already uses a forward-oriented radar system but will be adding additional sensors to build a sound-based, real-time model of the area immediately around the car, in a departure from attempts to create such a model using light-based lidar, according to TechCrunch.

The updated system will reportedly enable the semi-autonomous cars to read stop signs and traffic lights, allowing drivers keep Autopilot mode engaged even when not on the highway.

Tesla continues to pursue autonomous driving technologies, with the goal of introducing fully self-driving cars by 2018. The company is ramping up both vehicle and battery production with the opening of new facilities, and is on track to meet its annual targets. Competitors are trying to keep up with development as carmakers race to introduce semi and fully autonomous vehicles. 

John Greenough, senior research analyst for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on self-driving cars that examines the major strides automakers and tech companies have made to overcome the barriers currently preventing fully autonomous cars from hitting the market. Further, the report examines global survey results showing where fully autonomous cars are highly desired.

Here are some key takeaways from the report:

• Three barriers have been preventing fully autonomous cars from hitting the road: 1) high technological component prices; 2) varying degrees of consumer trust in the technology; and 3) relatively nonexistent regulations. However, in the past six months, there have been many advances in overcoming these barriers.
• Technology has been improving as new market entrants find innovative ways to expand on existing fully autonomous car technology. As a result, the price of the components required for fully autonomous cars has been dropping.
• Consumer trust in fully autonomous vehicle technology has increased in the past two years.
• California became the first US state to propose regulations. California's regulations stipulate that a fully autonomous car must have a driver behind the wheel at all times, discouraging Google's and Uber's idea of a driverless taxi system.
• Read the rest of the article HERE.