Sensor Work: Enabling the Inter-operation of Autonomous Vehicles

This article examines the "sensor work"carried out in the development of autonomous vehicles which, without sensor data, would not and arguably still do not, have the capacity to decide on where, and how, to drive. I begin by discussing three aspects of sensor technologies considered to be the foundation for sensor work being carried out in autonomous vehicle settings, namely the distribution, processing, and sourcing of sensor technologies and sensor data. The article considers how that much of this sensor work aids not only the operation of autonomous vehicles but also their necessary "interoperation."In studying four specific sensing methods from an operational perspective, I consider how the interoperation between sensing devices and subsequent algorithmic, object-recognition, and motion planning procedures is fundamental to the development of autonomous vehicles.