There is no reason to believe that we can achieve brain-like success at 3D vision with any current approach. As such, having multimodal sensors that animals don't have access to seems like a much more promising approach, and far closer to a sure bet. Basically, leverage technology that far surpasses animal senses to make up for the much dumber processing powers.
If Tesla had been limiting its ideas to theoretical research, or even applied research, I'd be all for vision only as a valid research avenue. But they are putting this thing on the streets where I walk, and they are charging people thousands of dollars with claims that it works today, and that it will do wonders tomorrow. That is simply not acceptable for a green field research concept that probably has decades left in front of it.
If Tesla had been limiting its ideas to theoretical research, or even applied research, I'd be all for vision only as a valid research avenue. But they are putting this thing on the streets where I walk, and they are charging people thousands of dollars with claims that it works today, and that it will do wonders tomorrow. That is simply not acceptable for a green field research concept that probably has decades left in front of it.