Cars & Vehicles
Autonomous & Self-Driving Cars Quiz
From LIDAR to Level 5 autonomy — how much do you know about self-driving technology?
From LIDAR to Level 5 autonomy — how much do you know about self-driving technology?
Waymo, which began as Google's self-driving car project in 2009, has logged more than 20 million autonomous miles on public roads. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) defines six levels of driving automation from zero to five, and analysts project the autonomous vehicle market could exceed $2.3 trillion by 2030.
Each round presents 10 randomized questions from a pool of 50, with four multiple-choice options and instant feedback after every answer. Your final score comes with a performance tier and shareable results.
You'll explore how LIDAR, cameras, and radar work together — or in Tesla's camera-only case, replace each other — how the DARPA Grand Challenges of 2004 and 2005 jump-started the industry, why Waymo, Tesla, and Cruise take fundamentally different technical approaches, and how regulatory environments vary wildly between Arizona, California, and overseas markets.
The SAE defines Level 0 (no automation), Level 1 (driver assistance like adaptive cruise control), Level 2 (partial automation like Tesla Autopilot), Level 3 (conditional automation), Level 4 (high automation in defined areas), and Level 5 (full automation everywhere, everywhere).
LIDAR uses laser pulses to build precise 3D maps of surroundings and works well in low light, but it has historically been expensive. Cameras are cheap and rich in semantic detail but depend on neural networks to infer depth — the strategy Tesla bets on.
Most experts now think true Level 5 vehicles that work everywhere in all conditions are at least a decade away. Level 4 robotaxis already operate in limited areas like Phoenix and San Francisco, and that footprint is expanding first.
Last updated: April 2026