An automated vehicle uses a variety of sensors to collect data about the surrounding environment. Maps and GPS help to localize the vehicle. Onboard computers analyze the data collected by the sensors, as well as the mapping data, to determine the best course and drive the vehicle.
Automated vehicle sensors include:
Radar: Detects objects by using radio waves to measure the distance between the host vehicle and nearby obstacles
Lidar (Light Detection and Radar): Creates a 360-degree image of the surrounding environment using laser beams. (Some lidars are not 360-degrees. Solid state lidars, for example, can have a limited field of view.)
Cameras: Help determine the distance between a vehicle and other objects. They also “see” traffic signals, pedestrians, bicycles and other obstacles.
Pilot programs in trucking, taxis, transit and shuttle technology are underway today. Intel outlines the speeds of some of the technologies enabling autonomous vehicles.
