Cybertruck vs. the Cartoon Wall: When Self-Driving Cars Meet Looney Tunes
- Guillaume Servonnat
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
The self-driving world got a little cartoonish this week — in the best way possible. YouTuber and former NASA engineer Mark Rober (yes, the guy known for crazy-smart experiments) decided to recreate a classic Road Runner scene. Picture this: a Tesla heads toward a road that looks clear... but it’s actually a foam wall printed with a photo of an open road. Spoiler alert: the Tesla doesn’t stop. It smashes right into it.
Sounds funny, right? It is. But behind the laughs is a real question: how do self-driving cars actually “see” the world — and are they ready for tricky situations like this? Let’s break it down.
Cameras vs. LIDAR: The Showdown
Mark Rober’s video pits Tesla’s Autopilot (which relies only on cameras) against a car equipped with LIDAR — a laser-based sensor that creates super-accurate 3D maps of the surroundings.
The LIDAR car sees the wall immediately and stops.
The Tesla sees… an open road. And drives right through it.
Sounds like a slam dunk for LIDAR, right? Well, not so fast.
Was Tesla Even Using the Right Tech?
Another YouTuber, Kyle Paul (a Tesla enthusiast), pointed out something important: Mark Rober used Tesla’s Autopilot, not the more advanced Full Self-Driving (FSD) system — and that makes all the difference.
So Kyle ran his own tests:
FSD 12 on Tesla's older hardware (HW3) → FAIL. It crashes into the wall.
FSD 13 on the new Cybertruck with hardware version 4 (HW4) → SUCCESS. It stops in time.
Even better? Kyle improved his wall to fix flaws in the original setup — like visible seams and unrealistic lighting. Still, FSD 13 nailed it. That’s good news for Tesla, right? Sort of.
Why It’s Not Just About the Wall
These tests, while entertaining, raise a bigger debate in the autonomous vehicle world: Should cars rely only on cameras (like Tesla), or should they use every tool in the box — LIDAR, radar, thermal cameras, and more?
Tesla says: AI will get so smart it can work with just cameras, like a human driver.
Everyone else says: No thanks — give us more sensors. LIDAR and radar provide extra layers of safety that machine learning alone can't guarantee, especially in tricky weather or lighting conditions. Tesla’s approach is bold — and cost-effective. But risky. Most robotaxi companies (like Waymo) use a full suite of sensors and have already been driving without a safety driver for years.
The Bigger Picture: Real Roads, Real Challenges
Whether a Tesla can detect a cartoon wall isn’t the point. What matters is this:
Can it detect real-world obstacles?
How often does it need a human to take over?
And will it be safe enough when Tesla launches driverless FSD — as promised — in June?
Right now, Tesla isn’t sharing the numbers on how often FSD makes mistakes or needs intervention. That’s surprising, especially if the results are good. Other companies track and simulate every single intervention. Tesla? Not so much.
Bad Weather, Big Questions
One thing most autonomous systems still struggle with? Snow, rain, and low visibility. That’s why companies often shut them down in those conditions — and work to slowly expand their capabilities over time. So does Tesla’s Cybertruck see the fake wall? Sure. But that doesn’t tell us much on its own.
Final Thoughts: A Cartoon Wall Won’t Decide the Future
At Mobility Masterclass, we’re here for the fun — and the facts. And here’s the truth: the future of autonomous driving isn’t about whether a Tesla can pass a Looney Tunes test. It’s about whether it can navigate the real world safely, consistently, and independently. Until then, we’ll keep watching the road… and the experiments.
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