Sensors and Technologies

The future of autonomous vehicles is linked to the progress of sensor technologies as well as the reliable application of measurement exploitation techniques and algorithms for trajectory definition and planning and obstacle detection. Sensors are generally grouped into two classes based on their operating principle: proprioceptive sensors and exteroceptive sensors. This chapter analyzes the capabilities and technical performance of sensors commonly used in autonomous vehicles, such as vision cameras, LiDAR sensors or radars. It also presents various conditions under which these sensors can operate in practice, to identify their strengths and weaknesses. The chapter describes sensors based on light electromagnetic waves, low-frequency electromagnetic waves and those based on mechanical waves. The number of cameras can increase the efficiency of image exploitation. For autonomous vehicles, the monovision camera can detect potentially dangerous obstacles. Radar allows the detection of obstacle positions with a large detection range and good accuracy.