Extended Review of the Robofinity InsightDrive

Extended Review of the Robofinity InsightDrive

Bill Martin - October 30, 2025

I purchased my Robofinity InsightDrive in June 2025 for my birthday for my 2013 Tesla Model S.
After seeing it advertised on Facebook, it looked like the ideal addition to my car, especially since I drive so much in varying conditions.
The area I live in is the Lost Coast of upper Northern California (Humboldt County), in the middle of Redwood country on the ocean. Our weather is unpredictable at best — often changing from sunny to rainy to foggy, sometimes all in the same day for months at a time. Lots of deer, antelope, elk, bears, mountain lions, and other critters here, as well as the 'California Jaywalkers'.
I drive through all these conditions at least 8 hours a week, with occasional road trips across the country. Makes for a good reason to have a good thermal camera system.

**Ordering & Unboxing**

I ordered it on the Robofinity website. I got the InsightDrive X1 + lens cover and HUD film. Ordering was easy and straightforward.
Even though we are in the middle of nowhere, I got it within a week or so.
It was packed extremely well in its own custom box complete with custom foam keeping everything secure and safe with everything I needed to install it.

**Installation & Setup**

Installation was straight forward and easy with the provided materials. I mounted the camera (with the protective cover) at the back of my Frunk (hood). Since my frunk has a rounded back, I measured where the center is and mounted it there. One slight adjustment later, any vehicles or objects directly in front of the camera appear on the center of the screen. Right above the camera at the top of my windshield is my standard low-light dash camera.
Using the included Velcro strips, I ran the cables under the frunk lid and into the cabin.
I mounted the screen to my right on the dash, below my main line of sight, so it does not interfere with my view of the windshield. That way, it is still in my peripheral vision, and any bright glows on the screen are in my view.
In this configuration, it’s like having another mirror to check. My eyes are always scanning ahead, checking the mirrors and the InsightDrive (quick glances), keeping proper awareness of my surroundings at all times. I did not end up needing the HUD film with this configuration, but I did notice I was getting a lot of reflections on the shiny screen, but solved that easily with a high clarity matte film made for touch screens. It came with 3 8.5"x11" sheets, enough to make 9 screen protectors. I custom cut one to fit the unit, and it works great. 
Installation took me about 30-40 minutes (I’m particular about cable routing — it has to look professional).

**First Impressions**

When I first fired it up, before I could even change any of the settings, it was already alerting me to people and vehicles that were passing by where I was parked, right out of the box, which was impressive. I read the manual really quick and fired up the app. Took me a second to wrap my head around MODE A and B, but quickly realized it was like profiles.
I set mode A to be primarily used for day time, when visibility is good. I left Animal and Person detection on, set to long distance alerts, and turned off vehicle detection to reduce visual 'clutter' when I am in traffic with lots of cars.
I set mode B to be used at night and in bad weather (bad visibility) or when navigating our windy back roads (which are the only ways to get into or leave our area) to alert me to everything. This dual setup works quite well.

**Performance in Real Conditions**

I have been using the Robofinity InsightDrive for 4 months now in all kinds of conditions, and I love it! So far, it has saved several jaywalkers from getting squished late at night. They seem to like wearing all dark clothes at night. Go figure.
Even if it does not alert (if outside the set alert range, or something the AI does not recognize), I can still see targets at a distance and prepare to act. After a while, I am now able to identify a target at a glance, just by their shape and intensity. It’s easy, since the unit is always visible (but not blocking any windshield view).
During a recent road trip, I was able to see just how well the Robofinity performs at different temperature extremes than our normal range on the coast. I was going through Redding, California and the temperature was 103 Fahrenheit. Person detection kept working as usual (Had vehicle detection off), but I was pleasantly surprised when I saw a person whose image was colder than the background (like a shadow). A second later, 'bong'... It recognized them. Needless to say, I was impressed.
On several occasions, I’ve been completely blinded by oncoming high beams, especially on dark rural roads. In those moments, a quick glance at the Robofinity screen let me confirm that the road ahead was clear. It’s reassuring to have that extra set of “eyes” when visibility drops to zero.
That said, it is important to remember that the InsightDrive is a driving aid, not a replacement for attentive driving. I never rely solely on it for navigation or obstacle avoidance. It is a supplement to safe driving, not a substitute.

**Version 9.0 Improvements**

The new version 9.0 software has some good improvements in the way the InsightDrive handles extremely hot objects like SUVs that would cause the anti-burn protection to activate if they had real hot exhaust and I was too close behind them (like at a stop light). It no longer activates on hot exhaust at all.
Version 9.0 also handles sunrise and sunset much better! Before with version 8.0, the instant it saw the sun, anti-burn would kick on and stay on for 30 seconds or so, showing a white screen until it decided to re-calibrate. If it still saw the sun, it would do it again. 
Now with Version 9.0, it sees the sun, activates anti-burn for about a second or two while it adjusts the sensitivity. After that, everything shows on the screen normally, including the sun! When the sun is no longer in its view, I can actually see it adjusting on the screen when thermal conditions are changing without any pauses or video interruptions. I am not sure, but it appears that it can now dynamically adjust the sensitivity in real time. You can actually watch it adjust image brightness as you drive.
Version 9.0 also changed the way the InsightDrive handles sensor recalibration (the video pause for a second while it closes the shutter to calibrate to a known heat reference). It is infinitely better! Rather than the noticeable pause that could take a second or two, it happens much faster, and less often. In fact, now I rarely see a pause at all, and if I do, it is almost instant. In the last few days of driving, I never once even noticed it happening. BRAVO!

**AI Recognition & Learning**

The AI recognition is really good, although there is room for improvement when recognizing animals that it has not been trained to recognize, such as cattle and some kinds of deer, and small animals. The good thing is that Robofinity support is very responsive to reports of them. 
If you’re able to send Robofinity short video clips from your InsightDrive — ideally with a description and, if possible, a regular dash-cam view of the same animal — it really helps them improve the AI models. Different regions have different wildlife, so user footage makes a big difference.

**How AI learns**

Think of AI like a child learning animals. It can “see” shapes and heat in thermal images, but it doesn’t know what’s what until it’s told.
If it’s only seen a few examples, it might mix things up — like thinking a Pug is a fat cat. By sharing clear, labeled images or short videos, you’re helping it learn the difference. The more examples it sees, the smarter and more accurate it becomes.
In short: The AI learns like we do — by seeing, being told, and practicing with lots of examples.

**Customer Support**

I have found support to be very responsive to issues and suggestions. They genuinely want to make all of the users happy, and love getting feedback. I have seen them implement changes due to the feedback they get.
Each time I send in or respond to a ticket, I had a response waiting for me the next morning. Very nice. I got too used to other companies I deal with at work and their 'fast' 3-5-day responses.

**Summary**

Overall, I’d absolutely recommend the InsightDrive to anyone who drives regularly in low-visibility or wildlife-heavy areas. It’s not just a cool gadget — it is a legitimate safety tool that keeps getting smarter with every update. For me, it has become as essential as any other mirror or camera on the car.

**In Closing**

I am not affiliated with Robofinity — just a satisfied customer sharing my experience. The opinions given are my own.

Once again, it is important to remember that the InsightDrive is a driving aid, not a replacement for attentive driving. I never rely solely on it for navigation or obstacle avoidance. It is a supplement to safe driving, not a substitute.