
Waymo CEO says camera-only self-driving systems can’t support fully autonomous driving systems, and after testing multiple robotaxis, I have to agree
THE SO WHAT
The public line from a major AV operator that camera-only stacks “can’t go all the way” hardens the perception that sensor fusion — not pure vision — is the credible path to full autonomy. If you’re building in mobility, plan for higher BOM and more complex perception stacks rather than betting on vision-only cost savings.
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