How Self-Driving Cars Work? | Tech for Product Managers

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Understanding of Self Driving Car

To understand how self-driving cars work, think of them as having three key abilities:

1. Ability to See
2. Ability to Think
3. Ability to Act

These three pillars — perception, decision-making, and execution — are powered by a combination of sensors, software, and hardware. Let’s break it down.

1. Ability to See??

Reference

Before a car can drive itself, it needs to understand its surroundings.

This is where sensors come in.

Self-driving cars use a variety of sensors to gather data from the environment. Each type of sensor has a specific role:

1. LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging): Think of LIDAR as the car’s laser eyes.
   It emits beams of light that bounce off objects and return to the sensor, helping the car create a detailed 3D map of its surroundings.
   LIDAR is especially good at detecting obstacles, pedestrians, and other vehicles — even in the dark.
2. Cameras: Cameras provide visual data, much like human eyes.
   They help the car recognize traffic lights, road…