Zoox is designing cars with autonomy as a primary requirement from the outset. That means no drivers, no steering wheel, and no gas or brake pedals. As their motto highlights, Zoox builds cars for riders, not drivers.

In this interesting keynote interview from Industry Tech Days 2022, Ryan McMichael of Zoox and our Moore's Lobby host, Daniel Bogdanoff, discuss sensor systems for high-altitude balloons and next-generation autonomous vehicles.

While Ryan is having a fascinating career in engineering, his original dream was to pursue something entirely..and I mean, entirely…different in college. And even after transitioning to engineering, it was a "happy accident" that led him to specialize in optics.

There are many other interesting tidbits in this interview that definitely make it worth a listen, including:

-How ADAS sensors now include much more than cameras and lidar these days

-Why Zoox is focusing on mobility-as-a-service

-The favorite pop culture autonomous vehicle at Zoox