Where We Buy: Retail Real Estate with James Cook Autolane's Fix For Autonomous Cars and Retail - Where We Buy #359
Dec 5, 2025
Ben Seidl, Co-founder and CEO of Autolane, dives into the transformative world of autonomous vehicles and retail. He brilliantly unpacks the 'last 50 feet' challenge for driverless cars, likening their operation to air traffic control, ensuring smooth curbside pickups. Seidl shares insights on partnerships with Simon Property Group and the complexities of integrating with various automakers. Plus, he unveils innovative concepts like self-delivery and the expansion to robotic orchestration. A peek into the future of retail and the road ahead for autonomous commerce!
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The Last 50 Feet Problem
- Autonomous vehicles need precise, coded instructions to follow property and retailer rules in parking lots.
- Autolane targets the "last 50 feet" where human intuition fails for robots and causes chaos.
Airport Analogy For Parking Lots
- Autolane models its platform after airport air-traffic-control systems with sensors and orchestration software.
- The system gives properties data, monitoring, and coordinated instructions for AV arrivals and departures.
Pilot With Simon Property Group
- Autolane is live with Simon Property Group at Stanford Shopping Center and Barton Creek Square and expanding.
- They collaborate with Simon to pick zones, paint stalls, capture GPS, and translate that plan into code for AVs.