Missy Cummings

Missy Cummings, Director of Mason's Autonomy and Robotics Center, dives into Tesla's recent legal challenges, highlighting the implications of the jury's ruling that found the company partly responsible for a fatal crash linked to its self-driving technology. She warns that this verdict poses a significant setback for autonomous vehicles. The conversation also explores Elon Musk's staggering $30 billion stock payout to remain focused on Tesla amid these turmoil, and the struggles of The Boring Company, which continues to face mounting operational challenges despite recent contracts.

Former fighter pilot and NHTSA consultant, Missy Cummings, discusses driver assistance and autonomous driving safety. Topics include limits of driver assistance tech, challenges of Level Three autonomy, humanoid robots, human factors in AV design, regulatory oversight in remote operations, funding disparities in transportation innovation.

In this conversation, Dr. Missy Cummings, one of the U.S. Navy’s first female fighter pilots and director at George Mason University's Autonomy and Robotics Center, delves into the truths about self-driving cars. She shares insights on how these vehicles actually function and their significant limitations, particularly in unpredictable environments. Cummings discusses the importance of integrating human oversight, the challenges of collecting quality training data, and the misconceptions surrounding full autonomy. Prepare for a fascinating look into the future of transportation!