Google’s driverless ride-hailing company Waymo has revealed the latest in a string of AI research-related announcements, this time sharing results from a first-of-its-kind study on collisions with vulnerable road users.
Waymo last week announced EMMA, its end-to-end, multimodal research model for autonomous driving, though it isn’t being used commercially at this point. The company also went on to detail its current approach to AI in a separate press release, noting its continued research into real-world models and AI training, a concept that may sound familiar to those who have followed Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) development.
On Monday, however, Waymo shared results from a study on Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs), in which the company reconstructed hundreds of collisions involving VRUs like pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. Waymo says that the research, as conducted in a partnership with Nexar, is the largest dataset of its kind in the U.S., providing key insights into real-world crash scenarios.
The companies analyzed dash camera footage of 335 collisions involving VRUs across six U.S. cities, leveraging over 500 million miles of driving data from Nexar for the research. The partnership also worked with Waymo research partner VUFO, which contributed to the below models on collision injury risk.
Credit: Waymo
Credit: Waymo
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were an estimated 7,522 pedestrians and 1,105 cyclists who lost their lives in traffic crashes in 2022, though Waymo says VRU collision data remains scarce. The company explains this by noting that several VRU-related incidents don’t get reported to authorities or insurance firms, while the U.S. and other major accident databases lack data on these particular incidents.
“We’re excited to partner with Waymo on this cutting-edge research,” said Henrik Liers, Managing Director of Waymo research partner VUFO. “Our common work addresses critical limitations in existing models and provides a more precise, interdisciplinary approach to assessing injury risk for vulnerable road users. This is a significant contribution towards improving road safety.”
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving and end-to-end learning models
The recent developments from Waymo come as General Motors’s (GM’s) Cruise, Amazon’s Zoox, and Tesla’s Supervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) aim to offer similar robotaxi services. While Tesla doesn’t currently operate a paid ride-hailing service as Waymo does, it unveiled the two-seat, steering wheel-free Cybercab robotaxi last month.
Interestingly, Tesla’s FSD system has been touted by some as a more scalable solution, in no small part due to its end-to-end system that trains on millions of clips of real-time driving footage. Another factor is that FSD is available to any Tesla owner who purchases the software, meaning that its neural network stands to have a much wider potential research base than systems like Waymo—at least until services scale up substantially.
Tesla’s Cybercab isn’t expected to go into production until 2026, though FSD Supervised will certainly collect a substantial amount of data in the meantime. As of Tesla’s Q3 earnings call, the company has over 2 billion cumulative miles of data from FSD Supervised users, after it surpassed a milestone of 1.3 billion miles in April.
Tesla FSD V13 to implement features required for unsupervised driving: exec
What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.
Need accessories for your Tesla? Check out the Teslarati Marketplace:
Elon Musk
SpaceX is exploring a “Starlink Phone” for direct-to-device internet services: report
The update was reportedly shared to Reuters by people familiar with the matter.
SpaceX is reportedly exploring new products tied to Starlink, including a potential Starlink-branded phone.
The update was reportedly shared to Reuters by people familiar with the matter.
A possible Starlink Phone
As per Reuters’ sources, SpaceX has reportedly discussed building a mobile device designed to connect directly to the Starlink satellite constellation. Details about the potential device and its possible release are still unclear, however.
SpaceX has dabbled with mobile solutions in the past. The company has partnered with T-Mobile to provide Starlink connectivity to existing smartphones. And last year, SpaceX initiated a $19.6 billion purchase of satellite spectrum from EchoStar.
Elon Musk did acknowledge the idea of a potential mobile device recently on X, writing that a Starlink phone is “not out of the question at some point.” Unlike conventional smartphones, however, Musk described a device that is “optimized purely for running max performance/watt neural nets.”
Starlink and SpaceX’s revenue
Starlink has become SpaceX’s dominant commercial business. Reuters’ sources claimed that the private space company generated roughly $15–$16 billion in revenue last year, with about $8 billion in profit. Starlink is estimated to have accounted for 50% to 80% of SpaceX’s total revenue last year.
SpaceX now operates more than 9,500 Starlink satellites and serves over 9 million users worldwide. About 650 satellites are already dedicated to SpaceX’s direct-to-device initiative, which aims to eventually provide full cellular coverage globally.
Future expansion of Starlink’s mobile capabilities depends heavily on Starship, which is designed to launch larger batches of upgraded Starlink satellites. Musk has stated that each Starship launch carrying Starlink satellites could increase network capacity by “more than 20 times.”
Elon Musk
FCC accepts SpaceX filing for 1 million orbital data center plan
The move formally places SpaceX’s “Orbital Data Center” concept into the FCC’s review process.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has accepted SpaceX’s filing for a new non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite system of up to one million spacecraft and has opened the proposal for public comment.
The move formally places SpaceX’s “Orbital Data Center” concept into the FCC’s review process, marking the first regulatory step for the ambitious space-based computing network.
FCC opens SpaceX’s proposal for comment
In a public notice, the FCC’s Space Bureau stated that it is accepting SpaceX’s application to deploy a new non-geostationary satellite system known as the “SpaceX Orbital Data Center system.” As per the filing, the system would consist of “up to one million satellites” operating at altitudes between 500 and 2,000 kilometers, using optical inter-satellite links for data transmission.
The FCC notice described the proposal as a long-term effort. SpaceX wrote that the system would represent the “first step towards becoming a Kardashev II-level civilization – one that can harness the Sun’s full power.” The satellites would rely heavily on high-bandwidth optical links and conduct telemetry, tracking, and command operations, with traffic routed through space-based laser networks before being sent to authorized ground stations.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr highlighted the filing in a post on X, noting that the Commission is now seeking public comment on SpaceX’s proposal. Interested parties have until early March to submit comments.
What SpaceX is proposing to build
As per the FCC’s release, SpaceX’s orbital data center system would operate alongside its existing and planned Starlink constellations. The FCC notice noted that the proposed satellites may connect not only with others in the new system, but also with satellites in SpaceX’s first- and second-generation Starlink networks.
The filing also outlined several waiver requests, including exemptions from certain NGSO milestone and surety bond requirements, as well as flexibility in how orbital planes and communication beams are disclosed, as noted in a Benzinga report. SpaceX noted that these waivers are necessary to support the scale and architecture of the proposed system.
As noted in coverage of the filing, the proposal does not represent an immediate deployment plan, but rather a framework for future space-based computing infrastructure. SpaceX has discussed the idea of moving energy-intensive computing, such as AI workloads, into orbit, where continuous solar power and large physical scale could reduce constraints faced on Earth.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s Boring Company signs deal to begin Dubai Loop project
The project marks the Boring Company’s first tunneling project outside the United States.
Elon Musk’s Boring Company has signed a definitive agreement with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority to begin implementing the Dubai Loop.
The project marks the Boring Company’s first tunneling project outside the United States.
The Boring Company signs Dubai Loop agreement
The Boring Company signed a partnership agreement with Dubai Roads and Transport Authority on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit 2026 to start the implementation of the Dubai Loop, as per the tunneling startup in a blog post.
The agreement was signed on behalf of Dubai RTA by Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, and on behalf of The Boring Company by James Fitzgerald, the startup’s global vice president of business development. Senior officials from both organizations were present at the signing ceremony.
The Dubai Loop project is intended to improve passenger mobility in high-density urban areas through underground vehicle tunnels designed for faster construction and lower surface disruption than conventional transport systems.
Pilot route and project scope outlined
The first phase of the Dubai Loop will consist of a 4-mile (6.4 km) pilot route with four stations linking the Dubai International Financial Centre and Dubai Mall. The pilot phase is expected to pave the way for a full network extending up to 14 miles (22.5 km) with 19 stations connecting the Dubai World Trade Centre, the financial district, and Business Bay.
The tunnels will have a diameter of 12 feet (3.6 meters) and will be dedicated to vehicle transport. Construction will rely on tunneling methods designed to reduce costs and minimize disruption to existing infrastructure.
The pilot phase is estimated to cost about $154 million, with delivery expected roughly one year after design work and preparatory activities are completed. The full Dubai Loop network is projected to cost approximately $545 million and would take around three years to implement.
Capacity targets and next steps
Mattar Al Tayer shared his excitement about the project, stating that the Loop system will be a qualitative addition to the city’s transportation system. “The project represents a qualitative addition to Dubai’s transport ecosystem, as it enhances integration between different mobility modes and provides flexible and efficient first- and last-mile solutions.
“Studies have demonstrated the project’s efficiency in terms of capacity and operating costs, with the pilot route expected to serve around 13,000 passengers per day, while the full route is projected to have a total capacity of approximately 30,000 passengers per day,” he said.
Steve Davis, president of The Boring Company, highlighted that the partnership aims to deliver safe and efficient tunneling solutions aligned with Dubai’s long-term mobility strategy.
“We are proud to partner with the Roads and Transport Authority, one of the world’s leading entities in adopting innovative solutions in the transport sector. Through this partnership, we look forward to delivering advanced, safe, and highly efficient tunnelling solutions that support Dubai’s vision for sustainable and future mobility,” Davis stated.
SpaceX is exploring a “Starlink Phone” for direct-to-device internet services: report
FCC accepts SpaceX filing for 1 million orbital data center plan
