Electronic sensing technologies for autonomous ground vehicles: A review

Autonomous ground vehicles have evolved a lot in the past decade. Several prototypes have been presented and tested in different conditions. A major challenge for such vehicles is the fact that they depend on advanced sensing technologies to perceive the environment and make real-time decisions. The complexity of this task typically requires multiple sensing devices, which is both a technical challenge as well as a limiting factor for autonomous vehicles evolution to mass-production. In this paper we review the current main sensing technologies for autonomous ground vehicles, their suitability and maturity status, as well as the way they have been used in prototype cars. This analysis gives a perspective of their evolution so far, as well as an indication of possible future trends.