Lecture Notes: LIDAR vs. Camera Technology in Cars

Introduction

• Discussion on car safety and sensor technology.
• Example of a car using LIDAR sensors to prevent crashes by constantly updating a point cloud with 640,000 laser measurements per second.
• Point cloud data allows for real-time navigation with a VR headset.

Comparison: LIDAR vs. Camera Technology in Vehicles

• LIDAR:
  • Utilizes laser measurements to create a detailed 3D map.
  • Effective in navigating obstacles and preventing collisions.
• Tesla's Camera System:
  • Relies on simple cameras and image processing.
  • Evaluated through a series of tests against LIDAR.

Test Scenarios

Test 1: Stationary Kid in the Road

• Objective: Test LIDAR and Tesla systems' ability to detect and react to a stationary object (a 'kid') in the road.
• LIDAR Outcome: Successfully detected the kid and braked in time.
• Tesla Outcome: Detected too late, failed to brake fully in time.
  • Uses automatic emergency braking with a focus on avoiding false positives.
  • On autopilot, Tesla stopped in time, tying the score.

Test 2: Kid Dashing from Behind a Car

• Simulated Scenario: Kid dashing from behind a parked car.
• LIDAR Outcome: Successfully stopped in time.
• Tesla Outcome: On autopilot, successfully stopped with room to spare.

Test 3: Fog Condition

• Objective: Determine systems' efficacy in fog, where visual cues are obscured.
• LIDAR Outcome: Successfully detected and stopped using laser shadowing.
• Tesla Outcome: Failed to react due to camera limitations in fog.

Test 4: Heavy Rain

• Objective: Test detection capability in torrential downpour.
• LIDAR Outcome: Initially struggled but stopped at the last second.
• Tesla Outcome: Failed to detect and stop due to rain blocking the cameras.

Conclusion

• LIDAR demonstrated superior performance in various challenging conditions.
• Tesla's camera system had limitations, particularly in poor visibility scenarios (fog and rain).
• LIDAR technology provides a more reliable solution for autonomous driving in diverse environments.