Technology
How do self-driving cars work?
Self-driving cars work by sensing their surroundings with cameras, radar, and lidar, then using AI to understand the scene and decide how to steer, accelerate, and brake — repeating this perceive-decide-act loop many times per second.
See it in motion.
Watch a 2-minute animated lesson that shows exactly how self-driving cars works.
Step by step
- 1Sensors (cameras, radar, lidar) build a live 3D picture of the road.
- 2AI identifies lanes, vehicles, pedestrians, and signs.
- 3Software predicts others' movements and plans a safe path.
- 4It controls steering, speed, and braking — with safety limits and fallbacks.
Frequently asked questions
- How does a self-driving car 'see'?
- It combines cameras, radar, and lidar to map its surroundings in real time.
- Are self-driving cars safe?
- They aim to reduce human error, but the technology is still maturing and faces tricky edge cases.
- What are the levels of self-driving?
- From 0 (none) to 5 (fully autonomous anywhere); most cars today offer partial assistance.