Here’s How The Sensors in Autonomous Cars Work

In order to stay on the road, avoid collisions, and obey traffic laws, autonomous cars rely on a series of sensors that help the cars understand the environment in which they're traveling in real time. By using a combination of ultrasonic, radar, image, and Lidar sensors—each of which serves a distinct purpose—these sensors digitally map out the road ahead of an autonomous car and essentially help it "see" where it's going. And while the full-on proliferation of fully autonomous vehicles is some ways away, these sensors will still be key players in how well these cars function on the road—so let's figure out what they do.