With the cost of sensors ranging from $15 to $1,000, carmakers are beginning to question how many sensors are needed for vehicles to be fully autonomous at least part of the time.
Those sensors are used to collect data about the surrounding environment, and they include image, lidar, radar, ultrasonic, and thermal sensors. One type of sensor is not sufficient, because each has its limitations. That’s a key driving force behind sensor fusion, which combines multiple types of sensors to achieve safe autonomous driving.
All Level 2 or higher vehicles depend on sensors to “see” their surroundings and perform tasks such as lane centering, adaptive cruise control, emergency braking, and blind-spot warning, among other things. So far, OEMs are taking very different design and deployment approaches.
In May 2022, Mercedes-Benz introduced the first vehicle capable of Level 3 autonomous driving in Germany. Level 3 autonomous driving is an option for the S-Class and the EQS, with U.S. introduction planned for 2024.
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