A federal judge has ruled that Uber is allowed to continue developing its self-driving technology during a legal battle with Waymo over stolen technology – but Anthony Levandowski, who started up an autonomous truck company later bought by Uber, can't be part of it.
by Staff
May 16, 2017
Uber's Anthony Levandowski, co-founder of the autonomous trucking startup Otto, shares video of a truck with no driver.Photo: Evan Lockridge
2 min to read
Uber's Anthony Levandowski, co-founder of the autonomous trucking startup Otto, shares video of a truck with no driver.Photo: Evan Lockridge
A federal judge has ruled that Uber is allowed to continue developing its self-driving technology during a legal battle with Waymo over stolen technology – but Anthony Levandowski, who started up an autonomous truck company later bought by Uber, can't be part of it, according to a New York Times report.
Earlier this year, Waymo accused Levandowski, the former head of Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group, of stealing key information on its proprietary lidar (light detection and ranging) technology. Lidar radar sensors are an important part of an autonomous driving technology that allows a vehicle to “see” the road and objects around it. Waymo is owned by Alphabet, the parent company of Google.
Ad Loading...
The judge in the case decided against halting Uber’s self-driving development altogether, saying that Waymo was overreaching in its claims that the files it says Levandowski took violated 120 patent claims. However, the judge ruled that Levandowski is prohibited from working on Uber’s lidar technology during the lawsuit proceedings.
Uber anticipated this ruling to a certain degree, and Levandowski recently stepped down from his position at the head Uber’s Advanced Technologies volunteering to recuse himself from all duties related to lidar at Uber. The move was seen as a way to protect Uber’s self-driving technology development by diminishing Levandowski’s role.
Waymo brought this lawsuit against Waymo after it accused former employee Levandowski of stealing technologies related to a custom-built Lidar radar sensors and taking them to his new company, Otto. Otto was later purchased by Uber for $680 million and Levandowski was made the head of Advanced Technologies group. Waymo attempted to depose Levandowski, who was not directly named in the lawsuit. However, he pled the Fifth Amendment, refusing to testify on the ground that his testimony might be self-incriminating.
Fleet drivers face constant visual, cognitive, and environmental interruptions the moment they hit the road. From roadside chaos to mental fatigue and digital overload, today’s biggest driving risks often come from outside the vehicle itself.
FLASH Weather AI has launched a first-of-its-kind hail prediction model capable of forecasting hail size and arrival time at 1-kilometer resolution up to 55 minutes ahead, giving fleets and insurers critical time to prepare for severe storms.
As litigation risk rises, vehicles are increasingly targeted. This Coca-Cola bottler shares how it’s reducing exposure through driver training, technology, and a proactive risk management approach.
From identity management to third-party certifications, the right technology partner should make security easier to manage. Here are the three building blocks that fleet managers need to stay in control as connected systems scale.
Distracted driving remains one of the most persistent risks in fleet operations. New approaches focus on removing mobile device use entirely while adding real-time safety support.
As distraction risks evolve, fleets are turning to smarter, more connected technologies to better understand what’s happening behind the wheel. Part 2 explores how these tools are helping identify risky behaviors and improve visibility across operations.
Distracted driving is often measured by what we can see—phones in hand, eyes off the road. But what about the distractions we can’t? A recent incident raises a bigger question about awareness, attention, and why subtle risks so often go unnoticed.
