We recently outlined Mercedes Benz's self-driving experiments and several OEM's roadmaps for telematics in our report Autonomous Driving Technology: Telematics Japan 2014. This report introduces various types of technology for autonomous driving: sensors, actuators that control acceleration/deceleration and steering, 3D digital maps, and telematics including cloud communication. Autonomous driving system firstly obtained information from sensors, and correlates between these information and high-precision 3D digital maps. The system recognizes location of the vehicle secondly. Thirdly it detects road conditions, pedestrian, other vehicles on the road. In consideration of all factors, the system judge trajectory planning and chooses travel routes. Then the system can give instructions of vehicles' driving operations to actuators and enable the vehicles to drive ahead autonomously. Once the vehicle starts traveling, it will be able to instantly sense its new positions to where they advance ahead and sense any changes in their surroundings by receiving data through sensors. The data will enable the self-driving car to recognize its next situations and determine next routes.

Related reports:

Telematics Japan 2014
  Autonomous Driving Technology: Telematics Japan 2014 (Nov. 2014)
  Latest Developments on Telematics in China and Thailand: Telematics Japan 2014 (Nov. 2014)

ITS World Congress: Detroit
  Outline of CTO Symposium: GM, Ford, Toyota, Honda, and parts suppliers deliberating the future of ITS (Sep. 2014)
  Further advanced automated driving and driver assist systems (Oct. 2014)