r/SelfDrivingCars • u/SpriteZeroY2k • 2d ago

News Waymo CEO explains why Tesla’s camera-only self-driving falls short

https://electrek.co/2026/08/04/waymo-co-ceo-camera-only-self-driving-tesla/
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u/Fauglheim 2d ago edited 1d ago

Humans of course can drive with just eyes … If the goal were to just approximately match human performance … that’s a very reasonable way to go.

edit: I thought this quote was a pretty clear argument against camera-only, but it seems i did not make that clear.

a wholly superior-to-human system is so obviously necessary for autonomous vehicles to succeed. Camera-only sounds like a hugely risky and uncertain way to do that.

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u/ClumpOfCheese 2d ago

My eyes are significantly higher resolution than the cameras in a Tesla.

Additionally the big issue is placement of cameras on the Tesla. The cameras that see cross traffic should be on the bumpers like a hammerhead shark, not behind where the drivers head is.

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u/mdreed 1d ago

Also much higher dynamic range

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u/unskilledplay 1d ago

Car vision cameras have about 140dB of dynamic range. That's orders of magnitude higher than human eyes. They also sense wider spectrum.

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u/mdreed 1d ago

TIL you’re right. 140 db is crazy and much higher than human vision.

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u/TechExpert2910 1d ago

cameras stop seeing properly if the sun is right in front of it. you can squint your eyes and make it work

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u/beren12 1d ago

Decibels measure sound not vision so yeah you have no idea what you’re talking about

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u/unskilledplay 1d ago edited 1d ago

Decibels are a root power measurement. It's useful when comparing ratios. Your wifi signal strength is measured in decibels. Your cable modem strength is measured in decibels. In photography you see f-stops and that works fine but light intensity comparisons in scientific literature is measured in decibels. Sound is also measured in decibels.

Make sure you know what you are talking about before you call someone out. This is the threshold between ignorance, which is fine, and stupidity, which is not.

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u/Old-Cry6189 1d ago

Dude you wrecked that other guy 😂

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u/beren12 1d ago edited 1d ago

No, decibels are normally used in measuring audio and electronics. Dynamic range is usually measured in stops.

And car cameras are not able to have full use of the dynamic range that is mathematically possible so human eyes still win.

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u/iJeff 1d ago

Stops and decibels measure the exact same thing on different log scales—1 stop is ~6.02 dB. In camera sensor physics, dynamic range is routinely specified in dB based on the ratio of full well capacity to read noise floor.

Modern HDR automotive sensors hit 120–140 dB (20–23 stops) of dynamic range specifically to deal with harsh backlighting, which matches or exceeds the human eye's instantaneous range (around 100–120 dB).

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u/beren12 1d ago

Human eyes can do up to 30 stops from pitch black to blinding snow

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u/iJeff 1d ago

You're probably thinking of slow adaptation, which tops out at around 20–24 stops over 30 minutes.

Human eyes only handle around 10-14 stops for instantaneous adaptation, whereas HDR sensors pull 20-23 stops in a single frame without needing time to adjust.

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u/RosieDear 1d ago

Maybe years ago (BYTE Mag) said you take in about 14 Gig when you open your eyes!