The software update allows the vehicles to detect defects such as broken pavement. That can be used to generate rough road map data and to adjust the ride height in supported vehicles.
This appears to be the first step in Musk's plan to make such a feature a reality. The release states that the adjustment may occur at various locations as the vehicle downloads rough road map data. As cars ply the roads, the data should become more refined.
The ride adjustment is only available in the Model S and Model X. It's not clear if the Model 3 or Y vehicles can benefit from the data if they don't have adaptive suspension. There are eight cameras in the Model 3 and Model S.
You need the latest update to enable the feature, which is called adaptive suspension dampering, if you want to use it.
It's not the first car company to think up pothole scanning. Ford proposed a feature that would instantly damp the suspension and detect individual potholes. By simply adjusting the ride parameters over the rough road, the system could be more practical.
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