Technology
How does a self-driving car work?
A self-driving car works by using sensors to see its surroundings, software to decide what to do, and motors to steer, accelerate, and brake. Cameras, radar, and laser scanners build a live 3D map, and AI uses it to drive without a human.
See it in motion.
Watch a 2-minute animated lesson that shows exactly how a self-driving car works.
Step by step
- 1Sensors (cameras, radar, lidar) constantly scan the surroundings.
- 2Software fuses them into a real-time 3D model of the road.
- 3AI identifies cars, people, signs, and lane markings.
- 4It predicts what others will do and plans a safe path.
- 5Controls then steer, accelerate, and brake automatically.
Frequently asked questions
- How does a self-driving car 'see'?
- It combines cameras, radar, and often laser scanners (lidar) into a 3D picture of everything around it, updated many times per second.
- How does it make driving decisions?
- AI trained on huge amounts of driving data recognizes objects, predicts their movement, and plans safe steering, speed, and braking.
- Are self-driving cars fully autonomous yet?
- Most still need human oversight; truly driverless cars operate only in limited areas and conditions while the technology matures.