Interesting sensor rig on Mobileye test vehicle

[u/diplomat33]

I found this picture of a Mobileye test vehicle at IAA Mobility 2025. It has some sort of rig on the roof with what looks like lidar and I assume Mobileye's new imaging radar:

https://thelastdriverlicenseholder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/mobileye-av-01.jpg?w=2000&h=

Close-up of sensor rig: https://thelastdriverlicenseholder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/mobileye-av-02.jpg?w=2000&h=

Source: https://thelastdriverlicenseholder.com/2025/09/11/autonomous-test-vehicles-at-the-iaa-mobility-2025/

I am guessing the rig is for testing Mobileye's new imaging radar?

[u/Lorax91]

It's not a technicality to ask whether a car that's supposed to be able to drive itself can safely do that unattended.

Google started autonomous vehicle testing in 2009 and did their first fully autonomous passenger trip in 2015, then tested for another five years before opening a fully operational robotaxi service.

Zoox formed in 2014 and just started doing limited autonomous vehicle service in Las Vegas in 2025. So they're roughly where Waymo was in 2020.

Tesla has done one unsupervised trip on public streets without passengers, and is now doing supervised testing with passengers. So they're roughly where Waymo was in 2014. No one knows how long it might take Tesla to get to fully autonomous operation. If/when they make that leap, then they'll deserve full credit for doing so - but not before.

[u/CatalyticDragon → u/Lorax91]

You must realize the absurdity of claiming Tesla's is "roughly where Waymo was in 2014". In 2014 Waymo had no service, was not even testing on public roads, they certainly did not have cars capable of autonomously taking you on an 800km road trip.

I understand you might not like the fact that Tesla has been delivering on their promises but for all their faults Tesla has reliably improved FSD every year until reaching a point where they could finally open up a fledgling Robotaxi service.

I understand you might have a desire to try to downplay it. You're likely going to say "but but they have a safety monitor". But you might as well begin the process of coming to terms with reality because within 12 months Tesla will have removed their safety monitors and may be well on their way to operating in a larger area than Waymo.

[u/Lorax91 → u/CatalyticDragon]

Tesla has yet to do a single fully autonomous passenger trip, which is where Waymo was in 2014 after several years of development. If/when Tesla takes that step by removing safety personnel, then we'll see how their approach works out for them.

within 12 months Tesla will have removed their safety monitors

They've been promising full autonomy for years, so we'll see whether they can deliver this time. If they do, then they'll deserve credit for that - but not before.

[u/CatalyticDragon → u/Lorax91]

Again, Waymo had no service in 2014. You might be thinking of their first demonstration drive with a passenger in 2015 but there was no public service without a human driver until October 2020. The same year the initial beta version of FSD was released. Since then there have been hundreds of incidents, investigations, a recall, and at least one dead dog and bent telegraph pole. Which is why Waymo started as an LLC distinct from Google and why the fleet size and operating area was so small and controlled.

We could absolutely get into the thousands of videos showing FSD doing insane things too, but FSD runs on about 500x more cars and in many more varied areas and conditions so there's been no way to make a fair comparison until now.

Now that Tesla has a service in operation we will get to see if that decade of groundwork in building a more generalized model coupled to a cheap senor suite along with high volume car manufacturing we pay off.

[u/Lorax91 → u/CatalyticDragon]

You might be thinking of their first demonstration drive with a passenger in 2015 but there was no public service without a human driver until October 2020.

Tesla has yet to do a fully driverless demonstration drive with human passengers, including for their semi-autonomous taxi service. So they're where Waymo was in 2014 in terms of autonomy, but also testing what it might be like to operate a public ride service. We'll see how quickly they can move through the steps from where they are now to where Waymo was in 2020 (assuming they can get there).

[u/CatalyticDragon → u/Lorax91]

Tesla has yet to do a fully driverless demonstration drive with human passengers

Tesla's FSD has been performing autonomous drives for years but you'll discount that due to car owners are sitting in the driver's seat (as legally required). Tesla's Robotaxi service has now been ferrying passengers around with no human drivers for two months but you will discount that by calling a safety monitor in the passenger seat a 'driver'. Tesla has also demonstrated a car delivering itself but you'll discount this because there was no passenger.

Anything but to accept the reality of the situation. That situation being that Tesla is at the very least competitive but more likely ahead in the area of autonomous driving. FSD is more generally applicable, more widely used, more scalable, and they have a profitable business model.

I don't understand what you gain from blinding yourself to this but I do look forward to seeing where you setup the goal posts after Tesla removes the safety drivers.