4 ms·

You know, I think the Vision vs LIDAR is very narrow and won't be very relevant in the long-term. If you imagine the full robotaxi stack: cars, training, simula

You know, I think the Vision vs LIDAR is very narrow and won't be very relevant in the long-term. If you imagine the full robotaxi stack: cars, training, simulations, back testing, data sourcing, perception, driving decisions, etc, etc, the LIDAR vs Vision concerns only one small part of the stack. Critically, LIDAR still has to be trained in the same way cameras have to - it'll give you depth information, but you still have to make it accurate decide whether some 3D blob is a person, sign, etc. LIDAR does not help you recognize street markings, interpret signs etc. That is the big question is: what is cheaper/faster: cheap sensors and more training, or more expensive sensors and less training. As LIDAR and training both get cheaper, it might not end up making much of a difference in the end. Companies will be successful based on how well they execute on the full stack and a slight edge in one area might not be enough to overcome problems elsewhere.

ketzo 5y ago
That’s sort of like saying “the touchscreen is only one small part of the iPhone. The OS, the native apps, the camera, the App Store, app developers, hardware accessories, repair service are all part of the stack.” You’re right, but that “small part” is absolutely critical to get right. It’s what allows the rest of the stack to be built; without that cornerstone, there’s no product. There had been many attempts at touch controls for computers before the iPhone. Other smartphones were trying. None of them were remotely close to what Apple achieved with their first capacitive screen, and that began a massive change in the way people interacted with their device, and changed the world. It’s like saying your roof is only “a small part of” your house. You’re right, on some level, but without that roof, there’s not much point in a really nice kitchen.
hnburnsy 5y ago
I think that infrastructure changes and car2car communication, will also make LIDAR less necessary. Imagine if a stopped emergency vehicle could communicate to all cars, AV or not, to slow down, stop or stay out of certain lanes of traffic.

ketzo 5y ago

That’s sort of like saying “the touchscreen is only one small part of the iPhone. The OS, the native apps, the camera, the App Store, app developers, hardware accessories, repair service are all part of the stack.” You’re right, but that “small part” is absolutely critical to get right. It’s what allows the rest of the stack to be built; without that cornerstone, there’s no product. There had been many attempts at touch controls for computers before the iPhone. Other smartphones were trying. None of them were remotely close to what Apple achieved with their first capacitive screen, and that began a massive change in the way people interacted with their device, and changed the world. It’s like saying your roof is only “a small part of” your house. You’re right, on some level, but without that roof, there’s not much point in a really nice kitchen.

hnburnsy 5y ago

I think that infrastructure changes and car2car communication, will also make LIDAR less necessary. Imagine if a stopped emergency vehicle could communicate to all cars, AV or not, to slow down, stop or stay out of certain lanes of traffic.