10.6 AI in Transportation
AI powers navigation, traffic prediction, ride matching and self-driving vehicles.
Chapter 10: Practical Applications of AI
Every time your maps app reroutes you around traffic, that's AI predicting conditions from live data. Ride-hailing apps use AI to match riders and drivers and set prices.
Self-driving cars combine cameras, radar and sometimes lidar with AI to see the road, predict what other road users will do, and plan a safe path. Some companies, like Waymo, run fully driverless taxis in several US cities.
Driving is graded on levels from 0 (no automation) to 5 (fully self-driving anywhere). Most cars you can buy offer driver assistance (levels 1–2), where the human still has to pay attention.
Key takeaways
Navigation and traffic prediction use AI
Self-driving = sensors + prediction + planning
Most cars are level 1–2: humans still drive