I think the discussion about sensors leaves out some important aspects. If you don't have the geospatial data, a lidar point cloud isn't going to be as useful. Tesla has a lot of 2-D image data and could easily get a lot more. But if 3-D sensing and geospatial data turn out to be a large advantage, what's the value of all that 2-D imagery?
Of course there are some inherent advantages to lidar sensing without Google's data muscle behind it, like sensing at night and in glaring sun. And then there's the radar and maybe sonar sensing for up-close obstacles. But, overall, I think the value of Google's data is underappreciated.
Of course there are some inherent advantages to lidar sensing without Google's data muscle behind it, like sensing at night and in glaring sun. And then there's the radar and maybe sonar sensing for up-close obstacles. But, overall, I think the value of Google's data is underappreciated.