Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE:UBER) CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has offered his insight into the camera vs LiDAR system debate amid the U.S.'s self-driving push.
Camera-Based Systems ‘Difficult' To Employ In The Near Term
Speaking on a podcast hosted by an Indian entrepreneur, Nikhil Kamath, on Sunday, Khosrowshahi said that he believes AVs (Autonomous Vehicles) need to have "superhuman levels of safety," which exceeds human abilities by multitudes, adding that Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) Waymo has proven it to be possible.
"I think in the near term, it's going to be very difficult and Elon [Musk] would tell me I'm wrong," Khosrowshahi said before adding that it was a possibility for a camera-only system to achieve superhuman safety levels "at some point in the future."
He then mentioned that all of Uber's partners were using a combination of LiDAR and camera-based tech, which Khosrowshahi thinks is the "right solution."
‘Cameras FTW,’ Says Elon Musk
Following the interview, Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to the social media platform X on Sunday, doubling down on camera-only systems.
“Lidar and radar reduce safety due to sensor contention. If lidars/radars disagree with cameras, which one wins?” Musk said in the post, adding that Waymo autonomous cabs can’t drive on highways due to increased sensor ambiguity.
“We turned off the radars in Teslas to increase safety. Cameras ftw,” Musk said in the post.
Uber's Autonomous Driving Push, EV Incentives
The interview comes as Uber's self-driving push gathers steam amid deals with Lucid Group Inc. (NASDAQ:LCID) as well as self-driving company Nuro Inc. to deploy over 20,000 Robotaxis over the next six years.
Uber also says that customers on its platform are actively ditching human drivers for Robotaxis in Atlanta, where the company offers Waymo self-driving cabs.
Uber also invested in Nuro, which is now valued at $6 billion following series E funding, where the company raised over $203 million with other backers including Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA).
The ride-hailing giant also announced a new incentive program for drivers in Colorado, offering $2,000 in benefits for switching to EVs, in addition to other state incentives.
Tesla's FSD Woes, NHTSA Scrutiny
Meanwhile, Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) FSD, or Full Self-Driving system, has been facing hurdles in the form of lawsuits filed against the company over misleading FSD capabilities, as well as a lawsuit filed by investors over FSD's safety concerns.
This comes as the NHTSA also announced it has launched an investigation into Tesla's delay in submitting self-driving crash reports, which the company said occurred due to data collection snags.
Tesla's Robotaxi Criticism, NYC Expansion On The Cards?
Elsewhere, Tesla has been criticized for its Robotaxis by experts, including former Waymo CEO John Krafcik, who slammed the effort as not being a "real Robotaxi" due to the presence of an onboard safety driver.
Tesla, on the other hand, is pushing on with Robotaxi testing, with a new job listing on the company's website showcasing an open position for a test driver in NYC to conduct trials and test runs of its Robotaxi in the city.
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