I’m always on the lookout for references to lidar in the world outside of Geo Week, especially in the popular press outside of industry publications. This weekend, however, I was extra surprised to see a lidar-related video get recommended to me across all of my social media feeds, even appearing on popular news sites. The clip showed a self-driving vehicle dramatically crashing through a fake painted wall, straight out of a Wile E. Coyote vs. Roadrunner gag.
The source? A new video,"Can You fool a Self Driving Car?" from science YouTuber and former NASA engineer Mark Rober. The overall premise of the video was to put two autonomous vehicles to a head-to-head test: one using a lidar-camera combination and the other—a Tesla—relying solely on cameras for self-driving functions.
The results are what you’d expect if you understand how lidar works: the camera-only system failed in fog, rain, and other difficult visibility conditions, notably barreling straight through the aforementioned fake road wall.
While the realization (for some) that Tesla doesn't use any lidar for self-driving features has sparked some fiery responses from commenters, this isn’t new turn of events for Tesla. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been vocal about being anti-lidar for years, calling it a “crutch” and deciding not to include it in the development of Tesla cars, despite the risks to doing so being clearly outlined over 5 years ago.
That aside, what got me worked up the about the 18-minute video wasn’t the car tests—it was the inclusion of a fun and accessible breakdown of lidar, as told through the story of efforts to covertly create lidar scans of several Disney World attractions. As of writing - over 10.5 million people have now been introduced to lidar in a way they've never seen it before.
Before getting into the self-driving showdown, Rober gushes that he’s always wanted to “see” what the all-dark ride of Space Mountain really looks like on the inside - a dream he says he’s had before he even started his 65-million subscriber YouTube channel. After a great explanation of lidar [starting at 2:39], cameras follow him as he successfully sneaks an R3 Pro lidar system from Rock Robotic in a chest-mounted rig under his coat, pulling it open as the ride begins to scan as the ride progresses.
The result was the creation of a lidar scan of the entire ride, which he then translates into a 3D model, and 3D prints a scaled replica of - allowing him to see the ride in its entirety for the first time ever. (Skip to [6:40] to see some great visuals from the Space Mountain scan.)
While at the park, he also covertly scans the Haunted Mansion attraction, illuminating several different illusions - from the actual location and size of the building it is housed in, to the mechanics behind the holographic ghosts within the ride.
So, what can we learn from a video like this, and how might efforts like these impact the next generation of lidar professionals? For one, it demonstrates the power of engaging storytelling in making complex technology accessible to a broad audience. Lidar is often discussed in highly technical circles, but breaking it down through creative demonstrations—whether scanning a theme park ride or exposing the weaknesses of a camera-only autonomous driving system—helps bridge the gap between niche expertise and mainstream curiosity.
As lidar continues to shape industries from transportation to archaeology, efforts like Rober’s could inspire the next wave of engineers, researchers, and innovators to explore and push the technology further. The more lidar is demystified and presented as both fun and functional, the more likely we are to see fresh talent drawn to the field.
I can only hope that the younger generation of science- and engineering-curious viewers who follow Rober’s channel walk away with a newfound interest in lidar. His high-energy, over-the-top style might not be for everyone, but for those on the brink of discovering their passions, this could be the spark that nudges them toward careers in lidar, drones, 3D modeling, or tech innovation.
Watch the full video below or visit Mark Rober’s channel here.
