Michael Wiesinger

I'm Chris Caplice, chief scientist here at DAT Freight and Analytics, and this is our second episode in the autonomous freight transportation series this fall.

Today, I'm lucky to be joined by Michael Weisenthaler, the COO of Kodiak AI.

Now founded in 2018, Kodiak took a different approach than most other AV startups.

Rather than relying on high-definition mapping, they developed a single AI driver system that fully utilizes and fuses together an array of different sensors to include cameras, radar, and lidar.

In our conversation, uh, we discussed Kodiak's driver as a service model, when this was what allows fleet owners to integrate virtual drivers into their existing network.

Because Kodiak believes that autonomous systems will augment rather than entirely replace the current driver workforce.

Michael also explains their statistical safety case framework as they prepare to take safety observers out of the cabs in their long-haul trucking sector.

So after my conversation with Michael, I'll provide a truckload market update.