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> Google's LIDAR technology is obsolete spinning-scanner gear, mostly from Velodyne. It's something you'd use on an experimental vehicle, not a production one.

> Google's LIDAR technology is obsolete spinning-scanner gear, mostly from Velodyne. It's something you'd use on an experimental vehicle, not a production one. Given that (1) Google is spending a whole lot of money to protect their LIDAR technology in court, (2) Uber spent nearly half a billion dollars apparently to copy it and (3) Google (with their proprietary LIDAR) is the only company -- publicity and press releases aside -- that seems to be actively operating an autonomous fleet in the wild with reasonably few overrides, disengagements or accidents, I'm willing to bet that good LIDAR is actually more important than you're giving it credit for here.

valuearb 9y ago
So a good LIDAR steers a car all by itself? I'm willing to bet that there is a ton more of technology involved in self driving vehicles than you are giving it credit for here. Not sure why the down votes. There is a lot more technology here than one type of sensor, there ia a huge software stack. Uber clearly paid $500M because they wanted to get access to someone who had been doing it for a decade and had built that stack more than once. Whether Uber thought they were getting Google technology in the deal is the big question of the lawsuit, but it's very possible they just wanted to jumpstart their own effort by buying a team that was already up to speed.
- angry-hacker 9y ago
  And the other question is why would auto makers want to sell or sacrifice their production capacity so they Google can kill them? Also, there are soy many regulations and safety rules in the industry, if they can't abolish them (with perfect tech/lobbying) old automakers will win.
  - mastax 9y ago
    > And the other question is why would auto makers want to sell or sacrifice their production capacity so they Google can kill them? Good point, but I think there are many ways to make this work. Two ideas: 1. Contract with a small/failing auto manufacturer who has little to lose (e.g. Mitsubishi). 2. Work with a manufacturer to build vehicles and also license them tech (Chrysler and Honda are interested [0]). [0]: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2017/01/10/alphabets-waymo-envisions-production-alliance-to-cut-automated-car-tech-cost/#799c00fc455b https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2017/01/10/alphabet...
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astrodust 9y ago
If you bought a new Ferrari because you were tired of the old one, and someone steals your old Ferrari do you just let it go, not charge them with theft? Maybe Google thinks they can drive a wooden stake through the vampire heart of Uber with that LIDAR claim. Perhaps they will if this turns out to be a valid claim.

valuearb 9y ago

So a good LIDAR steers a car all by itself? I'm willing to bet that there is a ton more of technology involved in self driving vehicles than you are giving it credit for here. Not sure why the down votes. There is a lot more technology here than one type of sensor, there ia a huge software stack. Uber clearly paid $500M because they wanted to get access to someone who had been doing it for a decade and had built that stack more than once. Whether Uber thought they were getting Google technology in the deal is the big question of the lawsuit, but it's very possible they just wanted to jumpstart their own effort by buying a team that was already up to speed.

angry-hacker 9y ago
And the other question is why would auto makers want to sell or sacrifice their production capacity so they Google can kill them? Also, there are soy many regulations and safety rules in the industry, if they can't abolish them (with perfect tech/lobbying) old automakers will win.
- mastax 9y ago
  > And the other question is why would auto makers want to sell or sacrifice their production capacity so they Google can kill them? Good point, but I think there are many ways to make this work. Two ideas: 1. Contract with a small/failing auto manufacturer who has little to lose (e.g. Mitsubishi). 2. Work with a manufacturer to build vehicles and also license them tech (Chrysler and Honda are interested [0]). [0]: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2017/01/10/alphabets-waymo-envisions-production-alliance-to-cut-automated-car-tech-cost/#799c00fc455b https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2017/01/10/alphabet...

deleted 9y ago

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astrodust 9y ago

If you bought a new Ferrari because you were tired of the old one, and someone steals your old Ferrari do you just let it go, not charge them with theft? Maybe Google thinks they can drive a wooden stake through the vampire heart of Uber with that LIDAR claim. Perhaps they will if this turns out to be a valid claim.