This Week in Startups Aurora CEO Chris Urmson on building the roadmap to fully autonomous vehicles | E1228
Jun 8, 2021
Chris Urmson, CEO of Aurora and a key figure in autonomous vehicle development, shares his insights on the evolution of self-driving technology. He details the journey from the DARPA Grand Challenge to current advancements and challenges in software and hardware. Urmson discusses Aurora's strategic roadmap for eliminating human drivers and the critical pathways to full autonomy, especially in long-haul trucking. He emphasizes safety, ethical considerations, and the potential impact of self-driving cars on society and vehicle ownership.
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DARPA Challenge 2003
- Chris Urmson, while a grad student at Carnegie Mellon, participated in DARPA's self-driving car challenge.
- His team's bright red Humvee, after rolling 10 days prior, qualified first but only went 7.5 miles of the 150-mile race.
DARPA Challenge 2004
- In the second DARPA challenge, after again rolling a Humvee 10 days prior, Urmson's team finished second and third.
- Five teams completed the 150-mile race, a huge improvement from the previous year.
Trucking First
- Aurora focuses on trucking first due to freeway self-similarity, enabling easier scaling and quicker product development.
- Trucking allows flexibility in route selection by prioritizing safety over strict time constraints, unlike ride-hailing.