Research on Tesla’s autonomous driving technology, Full Self-Driving (FSD) system, and the ongoing debate between camera-only and LiDAR-based approaches to self-driving vehicles.

Documents

DocumentDescription
Camera-Only vs LiDARComprehensive comparison of Tesla’s Pure Vision approach vs Waymo’s LiDAR system, including safety data and performance metrics

Key Topics

Tesla’s Approach

  • Pure Vision: Camera-only perception using 8 cameras
  • Removed sensors: Radar eliminated in 2021, never used LiDAR
  • Current Level: Level 2 (supervised) autonomy
  • Elon Musk’s stance: “LiDAR is a crutch” / “fool’s errand”

Competition

  • Waymo: Level 4 autonomy with LiDAR + radar + cameras
  • Mercedes-Benz: Level 3 Drive Pilot with LiDAR
  • Volvo: LiDAR-equipped vehicles

Safety & Regulatory

  • NHTSA investigations (2.88 million vehicles)
  • 58 crashes linked to FSD identified
  • Comparison: Waymo shows 60% fewer crashes per mile