How do self-driving cars “see”? - Sajan Saini
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It’s late, pitch dark and a self-driving car winds down a narrow country road. Suddenly, three hazards appear at the same time. With no human at the wheel, the car uses smart eyes, sensors that’ll resolve these details all in a split-second. How is this possible? Sajan Saini explains how LIDAR and integrated photonics technology make self-driving cars a reality.
In fiber optic communications, the Mach-Zehnder modulator turns light into a digital signal of light pulses. In contrast, in LiDAR, the modulator is used to create pulses that allow a detector to probe distance and shape, by measuring pulse time of flight. What other technologies, or their specific applications, utilize light as a signal carrier or a visual probe? Are their other roles for light you can discover, in modern technology? Are there any examples where light plays a dual role?
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Meet The Creators
- Educator Sajan Saini
- Director Igor Coric
- Narrator Addison Anderson
- Animator Nemanja Petrovic
- Producer Milica Lapcevic
- Sound Designer Nemanja Petrovic
- Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
- Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
- Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
- Script Editor Eleanor Nelsen
- Fact-Checker Brian Gutierrez
