Lex Fridman Podcast Chris Urmson: Self-Driving Cars at Aurora, Google, CMU, and DARPA
Jul 22, 2019
In this conversation, Chris Urmson, CEO of Aurora Innovation and former CTO of Google's self-driving team, shares his journey through the DARPA challenges and his insights on autonomous vehicle technology. He discusses the evolution of self-driving cars, highlighting advancements like HD mapping and LiDAR's role in safety. Urmson dives into the complexities of urban driving versus highways, emphasizing the importance of human factors in technology adoption. He advocates for a human-centric approach in developing safer, more effective autonomous vehicles.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Initial Apprehension and Perseverance
- Chris Urmson, technical director for the DARPA challenges, initially felt apprehensive due to the perceived difficulty.
- Despite this, his team persevered, driven by the belief that success, though challenging, was achievable.
Possibility of Autonomous Driving
- The biggest lesson from the DARPA Grand Challenge was that autonomous driving was possible.
- This realization fueled further innovation and development in the field.
Empowering Individuals
- Recognize and nurture people's potential, empowering them to exceed their current limitations.
- Trust individuals to grow and take on responsibilities, as Red Whitaker did with students.