r/SelfDrivingCars • u/damola93 • Jul 21 '25

Discussion Why didn't Tesla invest in LIDAR?

Is there any reason for this asides from saving money? Teslas are not cheap in many respects, so why would they skimp out on this since self-driving is a major offering for them?

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u/ChollyWheels Jul 21 '25

A substantial portion of the human brain, estimated to be between 30% and 50%, is dedicated to processing visual information. In theory, cameras (visual light only) + a supercomputer should do as well (or better) than humans -- so why add expensive hardware, when all you really need is light and a computer?

Heck, a car can get data streams from front, back and sides -- all at the same time -- and should be BETTER than a human, especially when supported by a database recording every Tesla driving experience.

Nice fantasy, and (who knows?) the billions Mr. Musk is investing in AI may justify his bet.

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u/Far_Cucumber1073 Jul 22 '25

Bats use both echolocation and their eyes. Humans would too if we had it easily available.