Chris Urmson, a pioneer in autonomous vehicles and founder of Aurora Innovation, shares his journey of making self-driving cars a reality. He emphasizes the importance of setting flexible waypoints, akin to navigational markers, to guide ambitious projects like autonomous innovation. The conversation draws parallels between overcoming challenges in underwater diving and the tech world. Urmson discusses strategies for fostering collaboration, the shift towards autonomous trucks, and the transformative potential of self-driving technology for industries and job creation.
To complete an audacious journey, you need to set short, achievable goals — or waypoints — to avoid getting wildly lost. But waypoints also need to be flexible because when you're knocked off track, you need to be able to realign your waypoints to get back on course. Aurora's Chris Urmson shares how he keeps returning to short, flexible waypoints on his daunting journey to make autonomous vehicles part of our everyday lives.