Google’s Self-Driving Car Project Is Losing Out to Rivals

Re:Google’s Self-Driving Car Project Is Losing Out to Rivals by jackcosgrove on Monday September 12, 2016 @10:42AM (#12480047)

This same argument could be extended to say that auto makers are ahead of Google. Correct me if I'm wrong, but my impression of the Google car was that it relied more on accurate maps, while the auto makers had better sensing hardware.

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Re:Google’s Self-Driving Car Project Is Losing Out to Rivals by ocdtrekkie on Monday September 12, 2016 @12:41PM (#12481212)

Well, Google technically has "better sensing hardware" in that it has "more expensive sensing hardware". George Hotz estimated the cost of the sensors on a Google car at about $150,000. Obviously, every Tesla doesn't have that.

But you are correct in that other companies design their cars to drive themselves, and Google's just making an overglorified Google Maps client with collision detection. And the reality that maps will never be accurate actually renders Google's methodology a complete nonstarter for ever being a real product.

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