Let's go through the different levels of autonomy used to describe an autonomous vehicle:

• Level 0: Vehicles having level 0 autonomy are completely controlled by a human driver. Most old cars belong in this category.
• Level 1: Vehicles with level 1 autonomy will have a human driver, but they will also have a driver assistance system that can either automatically control the steering system or acceleration/deceleration using information from the environment. All other functions have to be controlled by the driver.
• Level 2: In level 2 autonomy, the vehicle can perform both steering and acceleration/deceleration. All other tasks have to be controlled by the driver. We can say that the vehicle is partially automated at this level.
• Level 3: At this level, it is expected that all tasks will be performed autonomously, but at the same time, it is expected that a human will intervene whenever required. This level is called conditional automation.
• Level 4: At this level, there is no need for a driver; everything is handled by an automated system. This kind of autonomous system will work in a particular area under specified weather conditions. This level is called high automation.
• Level 5: This level is called full automation. At this level, everything is heavily automated and can work on any road and in any weather conditions. There is no need for a human driver.

Let's look at various components of a self-driving car in the next section.