this post was submitted on 16 Mar 2025
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Mark Rober just set up one of the most interesting self-driving tests of 2025, and he did it by imitating Looney Tunes. The former NASA engineer and current YouTube mad scientist recreated the classic gag where Wile E. Coyote paints a tunnel onto a wall to fool the Road Runner.

Only this time, the test subject wasn’t a cartoon bird… it was a self-driving Tesla Model Y.

The result? A full-speed, 40 MPH impact straight into the wall. Watch the video and tell us what you think!

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[–] mavu@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Taking a guess here, but I think Mark Rober is not a big trump/musk fan? :D

[–] KayLeadfoot@fedia.io 11 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

He is studiously apolitical, the only political comment I could find from him was the very sensible advice that we need to tone down our hyperpartisanship :)

https://x.com/MarkRober/status/1641487680168153089?lang=en

For me, I criticize any vehicle that is objectively crappy... and some vehicles where I find them subjectively crappy... and I hope folks don't assume I'm doing that because of my political leanings.

[–] mavu@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 4 hours ago

The story of the disney thing as a reason for why to make a Lidar video, is a great "cover your ass" move.

No one will accuse him of doing it to hit Elmo's self driving taxi ambitions. but the timing is telling.
he could have made the video at any time, he chose to do it now.