Driverless cars, also known as autonomous vehicles (AVs), work by combining a suite of sensors, powerful computers, and complex algorithms to perceive their environment, plan a path, and control the vehicle without human intervention. The core system involves three continuous steps: perception (seeing the world), decision-making (thinking), and action (driving).
Perception: The Car's Senses
The vehicle uses various sensors to create a 360-degree, real-time map of its surroundings.
- Cameras: Identify objects like traffic lights, road signs, lane markings, and pedestrians, much like the human eye.
- LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging): Spins and fires laser pulses to measure distances and create a high-resolution 3D point cloud of the environment. This is crucial for detecting object shapes and distances.
- Radar (Radio Detection and Ranging): Uses radio waves to track the speed and position of objects, working well in poor weather conditions where cameras and LiDAR might struggle.
- Ultrasonic Sensors: Short-range sensors used primarily for parking and detecting curbs.
Decision-Making: The Car's Brain
The data from all sensors is fused together in a process called sensor fusion. This combined data is sent to the car's central computer, which runs sophisticated AI software. This software classifies objects (is it a car, a bicycle, a person?), predicts their likely path, and uses high-definition maps for precise localization. Based on all this information, the driving AI makes decisions: when to accelerate, brake, change lanes, or turn.
Action: The Car's Controls
The computer sends commands to the vehicle's drive-by-wire systems, which electronically control the steering, acceleration, and braking to execute the planned maneuvers smoothly and safely.
| Technology Component | Real-World Example/Data Point | Purpose |
|---|
| Camera Resolution | 8+ megapixel cameras | High-definition object recognition (e.g., reading road signs from a distance) |
| LiDAR Range | Up to 300 meters | Long-range detection of obstacles and terrain mapping |
| Radar Types | Long-range (200m+) and short-range | Adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitoring |
| Computing Power | 100+ TOPS (Trillion Operations Per Second) | Processing massive sensor data in real-time for instant decision-making |
| HD Map Accuracy | Centimeter-level precision | Precisely locating the vehicle within a lane, beyond GPS capabilities |
| Sensor Fusion | Combining LiDAR point cloud with camera images | Creating a single, reliable model of the environment, reducing errors |
| AI Training Data | Millions of miles of real and simulated driving | Teaching the AI to handle rare and complex "edge case" scenarios |
| V2X Communication | Vehicle-to-Everything tech | Allowing cars to "talk" to traffic signals and other vehicles for smoother flow |
