Two Minute Technology: Autonomous Vehicles

Two Minute Technology: Autonomous Vehicles

An autonomous vehicle, or driverless vehicle, is one that is able to operate itself and perform necessary functions without any human intervention, through ability to sense its surroundings. Companies such as Aurora, Waymo, Cruise and TuSimple have been testing driverless vehicles on some public roads across America. You may already be familiar with ACC, adaptive cruise control, where the vehicle's system is able to adjust the vehicle's speed automatically to ensure that is maintains a safe distance from the leading vehicle (vehicle in front of you). This function relies on information obtained using sensors on the vehicle that allows the car to perform braking when it senses any vehicles ahead. As advances in high precision Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology continue, the accuracy, availability and reliability of autonomous vehicles.

Image from https://novatel.com/industries/autonomous-vehicles

6 Levels of Autonomous Vehicles

There are currently 6 different levels of automation. As the levels increase, the extent of driverless capabilities regarding operation control increases.

  1. Level 0: the vehicle has no control over its operations and the human driver does all of the driving
  2. Level 1: the vehicle's ADAS (advanced driver assistance system) has the ability to support the driver with either steering or accelerating and breaking (i.e. break assist feature)
  3. Level 2: the ADAS can oversee steering and accelerating and breaking in some conditions, but the driver is required to continue paying complete attention to the driving environment throughout the drive
  4. Level 3: the ADS (advanced driving system) can perform all parts of driving in some conditions, but the driver is required to be able to regain control when requested by the ADS
  5. Level 4: the vehicle's ADS is able to perform all driving tasks independently in certain conditions where the driver's attention is not required
  6. Level 5: full automation whereby the vehicle's ADS is able to perform all tasks in all conditions with no driving assistance from the driver. 5G technology will enable this final level, allowing vehicles to communicate not just with one another but also with traffic lights, signage and even the roads themselves
Image from https://novatel.com/industries/autonomous-vehicles

What are the Disadvantages?

  • Expensive
    • High-technology and equipment is expensive to research and develop
  • Safety and security concerns
    • Unexpected glitches may happen within the software and is susceptible to hackers tampering with system details
  • Fewer job opportunities for others
    • Would challenge the transportation services such as taxis, airlines, Uber and others
  • Non-functional sensors
    • Certain driving conditions (i.e. heavy snowfall, night) could cause sensor failures

What are the Advantages?

  • Increased road safety
    • Car accidents happen every 60 seconds (around 5.25 million accidents yearly) according to the National Highway Traffic Administration
  • Reduction in traffic congestion
  • Convenient transportation option for people who are unable to drive themselves due to age, health conditions or other disabilities
  • Elimination of driver's fatigue
    • Which could lead to car accidents
  • Option to sleep during overnight driving
    • For long commutes or deliveries
  • Automates delivery and trucking services

It's time to welcome a future of driving towards autonomy.

Trucks Move Past Cars on the Road to Autonomy

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