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A comment on Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto Sensor Economics. Parent comment

Re:Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto Sensor Economics by small_model on Monday February 23, 2026 @07:23AM (#47121394)
Very recent issue with Waymo https://dmnews.co.uk/waymo-robotaxi-spotted-unable-to-cross-.... This is 17 years after they bet the farm on LIDAR, with no signs its ever going to be cost effective or that it's better than multiple cameras, with millisecond reaction 360 degrees, that never gets tired, drunk, distracted, and also has other cheaper sensors and NN trained on Billions or real world data.
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Re:Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto Sensor Economics by WarmWash on Monday February 23, 2026 @08:03AM (#47121785)
There is also a report from the same flooding in LA of a Waymo driving into a flooded road and getting stuck.

They might have flipped a switch after that, causing this.

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Re:Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto Sensor Economics by jeltz on Monday February 23, 2026 @08:01AM (#47121764)
Tesla does not handle rain well either. This is not a LIDAR problem, it is a problem with self driving cars in general.
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Re:Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto Sensor Economics by ubercore on Monday February 23, 2026 @09:28AM (#47122788)
My Tesla can't even tell if it should turn the wipers on consistently or correctly. Let alone drive in the rain.
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Re:Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto Sensor Economics by mrguyorama on Monday February 23, 2026 @12:17PM (#47125333)
A feature that is bulletproof in other cars with a very boring and industry standard sensor (it's not even expensive), while Tesla insisted they could do it with just normal cameras.
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Re:Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto Sensor Economics by MengerSponge on Monday February 23, 2026 @11:07AM (#47124225)
Seriously. Why do people think a company that can't do automatic wipers could possibly do automatic driving?
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Re:Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto Sensor Economics by lazide on Monday February 23, 2026 @12:30PM (#47125540)
The same people that seriously thought we’d have a mars base by now.
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Re:Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto Sensor Economics by sfn42 on Monday February 23, 2026 @10:07AM (#47123240)
People also don't handle rain well.
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Re:Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto Sensor Economics by RobotToaster on Monday February 23, 2026 @07:40AM (#47121551)
That's an example of it failing safe. I'd rather it did that than drive me into a sinkhole because it thought it was a puddle.
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Re:Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto Sensor Economics by small_model on Monday February 23, 2026 @07:54AM (#47121692)
Ok so Waymo is useless in the rain then, kind of limiting. But at least that 0.000000000001% times it actually is a sinkhole you won't damage the bumper.
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Re:Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto Sensor Economics by criley2 on Monday February 23, 2026 @08:02AM (#47121769)
I'd rather a Waymo be useless in the rain rather than a Tesla be actively dangerous and likely to kill me.

Tesla ""autopilot"" fatalities: 65

Waymo fatalities: 0

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Re:Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto Sensor Economics by seanmcdirmid on Monday February 23, 2026 @08:12AM (#47121887)
Autopilot isn’t full self driving (FSD), most cars these ship with smart cruise control (what autopilot basically is). Do you have fatality statistics for FSD?
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Re:Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto Sensor Economics by MichaelNolan on Monday February 23, 2026 @09:55AM (#47123083)
> Waymo fatalities: 0

By some measures Waymo is actually at -1 fatalities. There has been one confirmed birth of a child in a Waymo. https://apnews.com/article/baby-born-waymo-san-francisco-6bd...

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Re:Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto Sensor Economics by aix1 on Monday February 23, 2026 @11:28AM (#47124535)
I think the car would have to be more actively involved in the process for that to count. :)
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Re:Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto Sensor Economics by veltas on Monday February 23, 2026 @07:55AM (#47121713)
Dude that's not a 'puddle' as the article claims, that's a body of water that it's not even visually obvious whether it's safe to drive through. Maybe I'm a bad driver but I'd hesitate to drive through that in a small car either.
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Re:Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto Sensor Economics by galangalalgol on Monday February 23, 2026 @09:12AM (#47122598)
I think the difference is the prior knwoldege a commuter has of that section of road. Does it always flood shallowly in heavy rain?
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Re:Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto Sensor Economics by kevlened on Monday February 23, 2026 @10:11AM (#47123310)
Even without prior knowledge, seeing others safely navigate the same section will lower your estimated risk.
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Re:Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto Sensor Economics by veltas on Monday February 23, 2026 @09:21AM (#47122704)
The amount of water will depend on the rain, so we don't know how shallow it is even with prior knowledge.
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Re:Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto Sensor Economics by devilbunny on Monday February 23, 2026 @09:48AM (#47123018)
If you drive the road every day, you probably do. If you can see someone drive through it (perhaps someone who knows the area well and knows how deep it is based on puddle width), you definitely do.
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Re:Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto Sensor Economics by idiotsecant on Monday February 23, 2026 @07:38AM (#47121530)
>A vehicle got stuck trying to figure out an obstacle so sensors with less information are better than sensors with more information.
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Re:Sub-$200 Lidar Could Reshuffle Auto Sensor Economics by blinding-streak on Tuesday February 24, 2026 @09:20AM (#47137475)
You're not even supposed to take Teslas in a car wash. Countless photos and videos online of flooding Tesla interiors when it's raining or in a car wash.

I don't think water is the platform you want to boast about for Teslas.

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