Update: Lede and second paragraph updated for accuracy.
Mobileye just deserted its internal development of some of its lidar systems.
The move partially proves Elon Musk right. Musk once said lidar systems are not needed for self-driving development.
The company announced today it would ditch the development of “next-generation frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) lidars for use in autonomous and highly automated driving systems,” something Musk said would happen years ago.
Elon Musk predicting lidar technology is a dead end for self-driving cars. pic.twitter.com/ok9FauLU4L
— ELON DOCS (@elon_docs) May 5, 2024
Musk, a vocal critic of Lidar systems, has called them everything from “a fool’s errand” to “a crutch,” arguing they are not needed for the development of self-driving vehicles. Tesla has adopted this belief and has even gone a step further.
As a result of this belief, Musk put his money where his mouth is, eliminating the use of sensors in its vehicles. Tesla utilizes a camera-based suite for its development of self-driving cars, known as Tesla Vision.
With that being said, the automaker still uses lidar in the development of its vehicles for data validation. Recently, we reported that the company was using Luminar Hydra units on top of a Model X for ground truth data.
Tesla Model X testing mule spotted with LiDAR rig ahead of Robotaxi event
Mobileye said the research and development unit of its lidar division would be discontinued by the end of the year, and roughly 100 employees would lose their jobs.
Additionally, Mobileye’s development of in-house imaging radar will still go on, and is set to enter production sometime next year.
Expenses are expected to be about $60 million this year and could positively impact financials as “it will result in the avoidance of lidar development spending in the future.”
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