Cognitive Radar for Self-Driving Cars

Ghostly three-dimensional shapes made of shimmering point clouds appear at the edge of the screen, and are often immediately recognizable as cars, trucks, and people.

At first glance, the screen in Echodyne's Ford Flex SUV looks like a lidar visualization gone wrong. As we explore the suburban streets of Kirkland, Washington, blurry points and smeary lines move across the display, changing color as they go. They bear little resemblance to the vehicles and cyclists I can see out of the window.