The Road to Autonomy

Igal Raichelgauz, Founder & CEO, Autobrains joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the company's strategic partnership with VinFast and the development of an affordable, scalable robo-car.
The operational backbone of Autobrains’ strategy is a Thinking AI approach that utilizes an agentic architecture rather than traditional monolithic models. By using a library of specific skills that can be added incrementally, the system scales from basic safety features to full autonomy without requiring massive data retraining or excessive computational power.
In the field, Autobrains is rigorously applying its technology to the VinFast VF 8 and VF 9 models, proving the system's robustness in some of the world's most complex driving environments, such as the congested streets of Hanoi, Vietnam. Autobrains utilizes a vision-only approach that mimics human perception to navigate urban traffic, heavy rain, and high-speed highways.
Autobrains’ Physical AI ecosystem also includes an air to road localization system, which uses compressed satellite imagery signatures to provide 10-centimeter positioning accuracy. Allowing the vehicle to localize itself globally and understand lane boundaries or construction sites without relying on expensive, high-maintenance HD maps.
Looking ahead, Igal envisions a future where autonomous driving reaches a mass-market inflection point within the next five years. This evolution aims to fundamentally transform the industry by delivering a fully autonomous robo-car at a $30,000 price point, enabling every vehicle to become a revenue-generating asset that increases safety and gives time back to the consumer.

Episode Chapters
00:00 How the VinFast Deal Came Together
03:16 Skills-Based Agentic AI Architecture
07:16 Six Cameras, 360° Coverage, Low Compute
09:37 Air-to-Road: Satellite Imagery Replaces HD Maps
12:40 Robo-car Vision
15:10 The $30K Fully Autonomous Car
20:20 The Thinking Layer
24:22 20 Teraflops, Sub-20ms Latency, Edge Computing
27:58 No Lidar: The Vision-Only Thesis
28:59 The Future of Autobrains

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About The Road to Autonomy
The Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.

Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next. Subscribe today for free: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/
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This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Uber’s new Autonomous Vehicle Solutions initiative, Waymo’s growing markets, and the growth of Physical AI powered by NVIDIA.
As Uber’s stock languishes in the low seventies due to investor overhang about the future of autonomy, the company announced Uber Autonomous Solutions, a new initiative to support the growth of autonomous vehicles on the Uber platform.
Grayson and Walt break down the initiative point by point, examining Uber’s strategy of providing training data, enriched mapping, venue management, and autonomous vehicle insurance. While Grayson views much of the in-car experience pitch as buzzword Alley, Walt argues that AV mission control and fleet management are the true meat of Uber’s strategy, aiming to provide the critical API for a fragmented market. This sparks a spirited debate on whether Uber is maintaining its asset-light identity or quietly creeping into asset-heavy operations by owning and operating robotaxi assets.
The conversation then shifts to the geopolitical risks of Uber’s international partnerships, as the company recently hosted analysts in Abu Dhabi to meet with Chinese autonomous partners WeRide and Baidu. Grayson warns of the tremendous blowback and political risk this carries back home, especially given the current US administration’s active stance on social media regarding foreign technology.
Walt and Grayson also discuss a recent broker report, shared by Uber CFO Balaji Krishnamurthy on X, that analyzed just 34 trips in Austin and claimed there is no cost advantage to autonomy. They call the sample size too small and the conclusions baffling given the obvious long-term benefits of removing human drivers.
Contrasting Uber’s narrative tour, Waymo is aggressively scaling and growing revenue. This week, Waymo announced they have crossed 1 million fully autonomous freeway miles, expanded into Chicago and Charlotte, and opened up Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando to early riders.
Notably, Uber was absent from these new market announcements, leading Grayson to point out the potentially waning relationship between the two companies. Furthermore, he put on his inspector hat to uncover signs of Waymo’s grand ambitions in the EU, citing meetings with the European Commission and job postings for EU regulatory counsel.
As Waymo scales, the capital markets are flowing for autonomy investments, highlighted by Wayve securing a $1.2 billion check at an $8.6 billion valuation. The round includes investments from SoftBank, NVIDIA, Stellantis, and Nissan, with Uber committing to own and operate the Wayve fleet in 10 upcoming markets, starting with London.
Then there is the growth of physical AI, which NVIDIA announced contributed $6 billion in earnings last quarter, with CFO Colette Kress signaling that robotaxis and humanoids are poised to be major growth markets over the next decade.

Episode Chapters
00:00 Uber's Identity Crisis
1:33 Breaking Down Uber Autonomous Solutions
20:43 Uber's Abu Dhabi Analyst Day & Chinese Tech Risks
35:37 Waymo Announces Chicago & Charlotte as New Markets
40:55 Uber and Waymo's Waning Relationship
42:03 Waymo Surpasses 1 Million Fully Autonomous Freeway Miles
43:56 Waymo Eyes the EU Expansion
46:32 Wayve's $1.2B Funding Round
50:39 NVIDIA, Physical AI, & Humanoids
53:04 Next Week

Recorded on Friday, February 27, 2026

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About The Road to Autonomy
The Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.

Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jay Iyengar, EVP, Chief Technology and Strategic Sourcing Officer, Oshkosh joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss Oshkosh’s approach to autonomy and the development of physical AI across their diverse industrial technology portfolio.
The operational backbone of Oshkosh’s strategy is a hybrid approach targeted towards moments of autonomy where autonomy adds the most immediate value. By addressing repetitive, hazardous tasks and mitigating driver fatigue, Oshkosh is building purpose-built solutions to increase safety and productivity for the everyday heroes who build, serve, and protect communities.
In the field, Oshkosh is rigorously applying Physical AI across a diverse array of use cases, from automating airport jet bridges that align precisely with aircraft doors to developing automated cargo loaders for complex tarmac operations.
Oshkosh’s Physical AI ecosystem also includes the HARR-E robot for on-demand refuse collection in planned communities, as well as advancing autonomous capabilities for military leader-follower programs and next-generation delivery vehicles.
Looking ahead, Jay envisions a future where Physical AI has its own transformative ChatGPT moment, becoming a ubiquitous and intuitive part of the industrial landscape. This evolution aims to fundamentally transform markets, ensuring that autonomous technology operates so seamlessly that operators can focus entirely on their work, ultimately saving lives, increasing productivity, and unlocking new economic activity.

Episode Chapters
00:00 Moments of Autonomy Philosophy
04:45 The Jet Bridge Bottleneck
07:20 Deploying Physical AI at the Gate
10:45 Navigating Tarmac Chaos and Regulations
14:15 Blueprint for the Airport of the Future
16:05 The Data Moat & Oshkosh's AI Stack
19:30 Weighing Trash with AI Side-Loaders
21:30 Meet HARR-E: The On-Demand Trash Robot
26:30 Revolutionizing the Postal Delivery Fleet
28:15 Why You Shouldn't Over-Engineer Sensors
30:30 The Hidden Power of Strategic Sourcing
32:20 Level 5 Military Learnings
35:10 Waiting for Physical AI’s ChatGPT Moment
36:30 The Next 100 Years of Oshkosh

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About The Road to Autonomy
The Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.

Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next. Subscribe today for free: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk unpack a wave of developments reshaping the autonomous vehicle landscape. Data surfacing from a follow-up to a recent Senate hearing reveals that Waymo currently operates 3,000 autonomous vehicles supported by only 70 remote assistance agents worldwide.
Grayson calls the ratio definitive proof of Waymo's technology lead, while Walt raises a pointed concern that roughly half of those remote roles are outsourced to the Philippines, creating a political vulnerability that could draw scrutiny as the industry scales.
From there, the conversation turns to infrastructure. Uber is reportedly investing $100 million to build autonomous vehicle fast-charging stations across San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Dallas. The move sparks a spirited debate about Uber. Is the company that built its brand on being asset-light now quietly pivoting to an asset-heavy model to stay competitive in the autonomy era?
On the regulatory front, Governor Kathy Hochul shelved a proposal that would have permitted robotaxis outside New York City, reportedly bowing to special interest pressure, a setback Grayson and Walt call deeply disappointing.
Meanwhile, Iowa lawmakers are advancing bills requiring a human driver behind the wheel, creating a strange-bedfellows alliance between pro-autonomy hybrid network advocates and traditional opponents of autonomous driving technology.
Shifting to hardware, Tesla's Cybercab secured an FCC order authorizing ultra-wideband radio technology for wireless charging. Grayson cautions, however, that FCC approval is only one piece of the puzzle, as Tesla still needs NHTSA exemptions to operate vehicles without steering wheels or pedals before any real-world scaling can begin.
Closing out the episode, Aurora opened a new autonomous trucking lane stretching over 1,000 miles from Texas to Arizona, pushing the boundaries of long-haul autonomy. And in a notable signal from the OEM side, Paccar highlighted its partnership with Kodiak in its latest earnings release, underscoring how seriously legacy manufacturers are now starting to take the autonomous freight opportunity.

Episode Chapters
00:00 Waymo: 70 Remote Agents for 3,000 Cars
04:00 The "Unforced Error" of Outsourcing Remote Assistance to the Philippines
08:00 SFO Rideshare Volume and Waymo's Impact on Traditional TNCs
15:00 New York Governor Hochul Pulls Robotaxi Proposal
20:00 Iowa Lawmakers Push a Driver-In Bill
23:00 Will the Real Uber Please Stand Up? The $100M Charging Pivot
29:00 "Take or Pay" Contracts: Is Uber Blocking Competitors?
32:00 Tesla Cybercab Gets FCC Wireless Charging Approval
36:00 Tesla NHTSA Exemption
38:00 Aurora Opens 1,000-Mile Autonomous Trucking Lane

Recorded on Thursday, February 19, 2026

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About The Road to Autonomy
The Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.

Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Grayson Brulte went on location to Miami to inspect Waymo's infrastructure buildout across the city, uncovering two depots that reveal the company's ambitious plans to scale to thousands of vehicles in South Florida.
The first depot, located adjacent to Miami International Airport, has not yet broken ground but sits on a large parcel with significant room for expansion. A service road connects the site directly to the airport, without the need to use the highway, positioning Waymo for a seamless airport-to-destination corridor that could be operational within 12 to 18 months.
The second depot, already operational in the Wynwood area near the Design District, is running what we estimate to be 20-plus vehicles with roughly 30-plus chargers situated next to a Florida Power & Light substation. The facility currently operates out of PODS with no covered garage, but vacant parcels on both sides and an adjacent warehouse present a clear path to scale. While we were there on the ground, FPL was on-site micro trenching, a potential signal that additional electrical capacity is being routed to the depot.
Looking ahead, Waymo's ability to service a thousand vehicles between these two depots appears well within reach. The next frontier is the beaches, Surfside, North Beach, South Beach, where a third depot will likely be necessary to navigate Miami's notoriously heavy traffic. With Hard Rock Stadium hosting Dolphins games, F1, and the Super Bowl returning to Miami, the demand signal for robotaxis in this market is unmistakable.

Episode Chapters
0:00 Waymo's "Rat Pack" Ambitions in Miami
1:00 The Airport Depot: Bypassing the Highway
2:00 The Wynwood Depot: 35 Chargers & A Substation
3:00 Miami Depots Compared to the Santa Monica Depot
4:00 From PODS to Warehouses: The Expansion Plan
5:00 The FPL Signal: Micro-Trenching
6:00 Expanding Depots to Surfside & South Beach
7:00 The Super Bowl & Hard Rock Stadium Demand
8:00 The Future Is Bright. The Future Is Autonomous.

Watch the video version of this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VB2kFhkSDkE

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About The Road to Autonomy
The Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.

Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.