Episode
#147 – Dmitri Dolgov: Waymo and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
2:28:50
Published: Sun Dec 20 2020
Description
Dmitri Dolgov is the CTO of Waymo, an autonomous vehicle company. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - Tryolabs: https://tryolabs.com/lex - Blinkist: https://blinkist.com/lex and use code LEX to get 25% off premium - BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/lex to get 10% off - Cash App: https://cash.app/ and use code LexPodcast to get $10 EPISODE LINKS: Waymo's Twitter: https://twitter.com/waymo Waymo's Website: https://waymo.com PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/lexfridman YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/lexclips SUPPORT & CONNECT: - Check out the sponsors above, it's the best way to support this podcast - Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman - Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LexFridmanPage - Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman OUTLINE: Here's the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time. (00:00) - Introduction (07:46) - Computer games (12:52) - Childhood (15:24) - Robotics (16:14) - Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (18:26) - DARPA Urban Challenge (28:46) - Waymo origin story (44:27) - Waymo self-driving hardware (53:00) - Connected cars (58:53) - Waymo fully driverless service in Phoenix (1:03:14) - Getting feedback from riders (1:11:28) - Creating a product that people love (1:17:18) - Do self-driving cars need to break the rules like humans do? (1:24:03) - Waymo Trucks (1:29:41) - Future of Waymo (1:42:53) - Role of lidar in autonomous driving (1:55:53) - Machine learning is essential for autonomous driving (1:59:55) - Pedestrians (2:06:32) - Trolley problem (2:11:00) - Book recommendations (2:22:26) - Meaning of life
Chapters
The podcast features an MIT researcher talking about his fascination with autonomous driving, the problem space associated with it and his focus on positive solutions.
00:00 - 07:47 (07:47)
Summary
The podcast features an MIT researcher talking about his fascination with autonomous driving, the problem space associated with it and his focus on positive solutions. The podcast host also mentions the apps he uses, BetterHelp, Blinkist and Cash App, the latter of which offers a code that gives a $10 donation to STEM education when downloaded with the code ‘LexPodcast'.
Episode#147 – Dmitri Dolgov: Waymo and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
A software engineer shares his experience of creating a game as a kid in Russia and a Japanese game developer offering to buy it for a few hundred bucks.
07:50 - 11:10 (03:19)
Summary
A software engineer shares his experience of creating a game as a kid in Russia and a Japanese game developer offering to buy it for a few hundred bucks. He also talks about his idea of people contributing and sending donations to him for his game.
Episode#147 – Dmitri Dolgov: Waymo and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker discusses the different types of video games that can be played with kids and how new experiences can develop through them.
11:10 - 18:30 (07:19)
Summary
The speaker discusses the different types of video games that can be played with kids and how new experiences can develop through them. He also mentions his OCD nature and how that relates to a style of thinking in computer science.
Episode#147 – Dmitri Dolgov: Waymo and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
This podcast episode talks about the early days of self-driving cars and how the development of the first rudimentary version played a significant role in the growth of the industry.
18:30 - 25:24 (06:54)
Summary
This podcast episode talks about the early days of self-driving cars and how the development of the first rudimentary version played a significant role in the growth of the industry.
Episode#147 – Dmitri Dolgov: Waymo and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker discusses their contribution to the DARPA challenge which involved navigating parking lots in autonomous cars by receiving an outline of the map to navigate from the entrance to the parking space.
25:24 - 32:04 (06:40)
Summary
The speaker discusses their contribution to the DARPA challenge which involved navigating parking lots in autonomous cars by receiving an outline of the map to navigate from the entrance to the parking space.
Episode#147 – Dmitri Dolgov: Waymo and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
In the early days of autonomous car development, the Waymo team faced fundamental philosophical problems of driving.
32:04 - 38:11 (06:06)
Summary
In the early days of autonomous car development, the Waymo team faced fundamental philosophical problems of driving. While contemporary challenges involve how to scale and create a safe product, the team learned valuable lessons in evaluating metrics and achieving autonomous driving at scale.
Episode#147 – Dmitri Dolgov: Waymo and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The co-founder of Waymo, Chris Urmson, discusses the advancements of autonomous vehicles—from their regular driverless operations on public roads to fifth-generation hardware specs.
38:11 - 45:13 (07:02)
Summary
The co-founder of Waymo, Chris Urmson, discusses the advancements of autonomous vehicles—from their regular driverless operations on public roads to fifth-generation hardware specs. He also clarifies the distinction between a safety driver and an autonomous vehicle.
Episode#147 – Dmitri Dolgov: Waymo and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The process of processing the raw sensor data gathered by Waymo's autonomous vehicles involves real-time operations of fleet cars, exchange of real-time information, and massive amounts of data for training ML models and evaluating the entire system in simulation.
45:13 - 53:27 (08:14)
Summary
The process of processing the raw sensor data gathered by Waymo's autonomous vehicles involves real-time operations of fleet cars, exchange of real-time information, and massive amounts of data for training ML models and evaluating the entire system in simulation. Building custom frameworks for data mining is crucial in identifying interesting edge cases for training and evaluating subcomponents of the autonomous driving system on various ML models.
Episode#147 – Dmitri Dolgov: Waymo and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
Connected and autonomous vehicles that exchange information can interact better and collectively work for fleet assistance and traffic control, while also sharing observations of their surroundings.
53:27 - 59:17 (05:50)
Summary
Connected and autonomous vehicles that exchange information can interact better and collectively work for fleet assistance and traffic control, while also sharing observations of their surroundings. This self-updating network could lead to a smarter and more efficient driving experience.
Episode#147 – Dmitri Dolgov: Waymo and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
Learn how you can provide real-time feedback as a passenger in autonomous vehicles and improve the product's user experience.
59:17 - 1:05:51 (06:33)
Summary
Learn how you can provide real-time feedback as a passenger in autonomous vehicles and improve the product's user experience. The technology allows for flexibility in use cases like driving to work or running errands.
Episode#147 – Dmitri Dolgov: Waymo and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The integration of phones with car computers can lead to innovative user interfaces, such as the car showing up exactly where you have asked it to be located.
1:05:51 - 1:14:55 (09:03)
Summary
The integration of phones with car computers can lead to innovative user interfaces, such as the car showing up exactly where you have asked it to be located. Google's successful search recommendations are based on analysis of past user outcomes, but AGI is required to solve location problems within large spaces such as apartment buildings.
Episode#147 – Dmitri Dolgov: Waymo and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The idea of driving styles and technology applications such as Uber, Lyft, and limo driving are discussed, along with the assertion of presence in driving and specialization in technological advancements.
1:14:55 - 1:27:29 (12:34)
Summary
The idea of driving styles and technology applications such as Uber, Lyft, and limo driving are discussed, along with the assertion of presence in driving and specialization in technological advancements.
Episode#147 – Dmitri Dolgov: Waymo and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The incorporation of fundamental improvements in core technology, both on the hardware and software side, enables companies to optimize their fleets and scale their autonomous vehicle operations beyond one location.
1:27:29 - 1:34:33 (07:03)
Summary
The incorporation of fundamental improvements in core technology, both on the hardware and software side, enables companies to optimize their fleets and scale their autonomous vehicle operations beyond one location.
Episode#147 – Dmitri Dolgov: Waymo and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The decision to deploy autonomous vehicles in Phoenix was intentional so as to focus on complexity and de-risking different dimensions such as hardware and software technology, deployment evaluation, service operation, and business operation in order to be fully informed about the most important challenges to get to the next level of copied deployment.
1:34:33 - 1:42:26 (07:53)
Summary
The decision to deploy autonomous vehicles in Phoenix was intentional so as to focus on complexity and de-risking different dimensions such as hardware and software technology, deployment evaluation, service operation, and business operation in order to be fully informed about the most important challenges to get to the next level of copied deployment.
Episode#147 – Dmitri Dolgov: Waymo and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The use of LIDAR in autonomous vehicles has been subject to criticism due to its cost and aesthetics, but its exclusion in driver assistance systems can limit the system's capabilities and safety.
1:42:26 - 1:48:47 (06:20)
Summary
The use of LIDAR in autonomous vehicles has been subject to criticism due to its cost and aesthetics, but its exclusion in driver assistance systems can limit the system's capabilities and safety.
Episode#147 – Dmitri Dolgov: Waymo and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The field of autonomous vehicle technology has been evolving in end-to-end models that solve behavior prediction, decision-making, planning, and detection classification jointly.
1:48:47 - 2:00:11 (11:23)
Summary
The field of autonomous vehicle technology has been evolving in end-to-end models that solve behavior prediction, decision-making, planning, and detection classification jointly. The result is powerful models that can detect and classify objects in autonomous vehicles and estimate stable stakes accurately.
Episode#147 – Dmitri Dolgov: Waymo and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
Driverless cars can contribute to the safety of pedestrians by addressing rare and unexpected events, ultimately providing an extra margin of safety and performance.
2:00:11 - 2:05:25 (05:14)
Summary
Driverless cars can contribute to the safety of pedestrians by addressing rare and unexpected events, ultimately providing an extra margin of safety and performance.
Episode#147 – Dmitri Dolgov: Waymo and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
This episode discusses the ethical decisions autonomous cars will need to make in situations where accidents cannot be avoided and how this impacts our understanding of morality.
2:05:25 - 2:11:25 (06:00)
Summary
This episode discusses the ethical decisions autonomous cars will need to make in situations where accidents cannot be avoided and how this impacts our understanding of morality.
Episode#147 – Dmitri Dolgov: Waymo and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The Complexity of Culture and Language: In this episode, the hosts discuss the importance of reading in one's native language, as well as the challenges that come with translating cultural nuances into another language.
2:11:25 - 2:17:11 (05:45)
Summary
The Complexity of Culture and Language: In this episode, the hosts discuss the importance of reading in one's native language, as well as the challenges that come with translating cultural nuances into another language.
Episode#147 – Dmitri Dolgov: Waymo and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker reminisces about receiving a complete collection of a book series for their birthday and spending the entire holiday reading it cover to cover, enjoying the societal questions and hilarious language used in the book.
2:17:11 - 2:19:22 (02:11)
Summary
The speaker reminisces about receiving a complete collection of a book series for their birthday and spending the entire holiday reading it cover to cover, enjoying the societal questions and hilarious language used in the book.
Episode#147 – Dmitri Dolgov: Waymo and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker shares their thoughts on finding purpose and meaning in life, as well as their concern for societal shifts that parallel George Orwell's Animal Farm, specifically the concept of double think and blind adherence to party lines.
2:19:24 - 2:26:53 (07:29)
Summary
The speaker shares their thoughts on finding purpose and meaning in life, as well as their concern for societal shifts that parallel George Orwell's Animal Farm, specifically the concept of double think and blind adherence to party lines.
Episode#147 – Dmitri Dolgov: Waymo and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker expresses their excitement about the progress made in self-driving cars, specifically mentioning their admiration of Waymo, and predicts that it will be one of the most important creations of the 21st century.
2:26:53 - 2:28:30 (01:37)
Summary
The speaker expresses their excitement about the progress made in self-driving cars, specifically mentioning their admiration of Waymo, and predicts that it will be one of the most important creations of the 21st century.