This page summarizes everything necessary to start handling sensors. It introduces the types available and a step-by-step guide of their life cycle. The specifics for every sensor can be found in the [sensors reference](ref_sensors.md).
* __What is this data?__ It varies a lot depending on the type of sensor. All the types of data are inherited from the general [carla.SensorData](python_api.md#carla.SensorData).
As with every other actor, find the blueprint and set specific attributes. This is essential when handling sensors. Their attributes will determine the results obtained. These are detailed in the [sensors reference](ref_sensors.md).
`attachment_to` and `attachment_type`, are crucial. Sensors should be attached to a parent actor, usually a vehicle, to follow it around and gather the information. The attachment type will determine how its position is updated regarding said vehicle.
* __Rigid attachment.__ Movement is strict regarding its parent location. This is the proper attachment to retrieve data from the simulation.
* __SpringArm attachment.__ Movement is eased with little accelerations and decelerations. This attachment is only recommended to record videos from the simulation. The movement is smooth and "hops" are avoided when updating the cameras' positions.
The argument `callback` is a [lambda function](https://www.w3schools.com/python/python_lambda.asp). It describes what should the sensor do when data is retrieved. This must have the data retrieved as an argument.
Most sensor data objects have a function to save the information to disk. This will allow it to be used in other environments.
Sensor data differs a lot between sensor types. Take a look at the [sensors reference](ref_sensors.md) to get a detailed explanation. However, all of them are always tagged with some basic information.
<tableclass ="defTable">
<thead>
<th>Sensor data attribute</th>
<th>Type</th>
<th>Description</th>
</thead>
<tbody>
<td><code>frame</code></td>
<td>int</td>
<td>Frame number when the measurement took place.</td>
<tr>
<td><code>timestamp</code></td>
<td>double</td>
<td>Timestamp of the measurement in simulation seconds since the beginning of the episode.</td>
Take a shot of the world from their point of view. The helper class [carla.ColorConverter](python_api.md#carla.ColorConverter) will modify said image to represent different information.
<td>Modifies the controller applied to a vehicle according to safety checks. This sensor works in a different manner than the rest, and there is specific <ahref="../adv_rss">RSS documentation</a> for it. </td>
* __Gain some practise.__ It may be a good idea to try some of the code recipes provided in this documentation. Combine them with the example scripts, test new ideas.
* __Continue learning.__ There are some advanced features in CARLA: rendering options, traffic manager, the recorder, and some more. This is a great moment to learn on them.
* __Experiment freely.__ Take a look at the __References__ section of this documentation. It contains detailed information on the classes in the Python API, sensors, and much more.
