What is sensor fusion and why is it important for autonomous driving?

Sensor fusion combines data from multiple sensors (cameras, radar, lidar, ultrasonic, GPS, IMU) to create a comprehensive understanding of the vehicle's environment. Importance: Each sensor has strengths and weaknesses, fusion leverages complementary capabilities. For example, camera provides classification but limited depth, radar provides range and velocity but limited resolution, lidar provides accurate 3D data but is weather-sensitive. Fusion approaches include early fusion (raw data combination), track-level fusion (combining object tracks), and decision-level fusion (combining outputs). Robust sensor fusion enables reliable perception across varied conditions, essential for safe autonomous operation.