Sensor Technology for Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous systems including Autonomous Vehicles (AV) operate with or without human intervention. To achieve partial (or) full-fledged autonomy, the AVs must be able to sense and react to their surrounding environment. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) use a variety of sensor technologies to observe their surroundings and make logical decisions based on the data gathered, just as humans do. Perception systems (sensors onboard AVs) provide enough information to enable autonomous transportation and mobility under optimal operating conditions. Comprehensive sensing of the environment requires multiple sensors to operate simultaneously to acquire precise information from the surroundings and the internal state of the vehicle. In reality, there are still a number of challenges that might obstruct the operation of AV sensors and, as a result, reduce their effectiveness under more realistic situations. This chapter discusses various features and facts related to physical AV sensors, including the categories of sensors, their functionality, characteristics, behavior toward climate conditions, and their applications.