14. Sensor Strengths and Weaknesses

As you just saw, it can be dangerous to rely on accelerometer data for localization since errors have a tendency to accumulate. This is a weakness of accelerometers.

Fortunately, it takes some time for these errors to accumulate. So when they're used over short time intervals accelerometers can be really helpful.

Take a look at one of Uber's early prototypes of a self driving car:

Look at all those sensors perched on the hood! And you can't even see the IMUs and odometers and GPS sensors inside the vehicle!

Each of these sensors has strengths and weaknesses and each contributes to an improved understanding of the vehicle and it's surroundings.

If you choose to take the advanced Self Driving Car Engineer Nanodegree, you'll learn about sensor fusion. Sensor fusion is how you use software to stitch together all these disparate data sources into one coherent picture about the vehicle, its motion, and the world around it.