Helpful Information
on
Self-Driving Cars
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The sections below discuss SAE's Levels of Automation, the companies with self-driving initiatives, the three main stages of development, opinions of self-driving services, the spectrum of software used, and current challenges facing the self-driving car industry.
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1. WHAT ARE SELF-DRIVING CARS?
The Society of Automotive Engineering (“SAE”) International is an international automotive standards body that established an influential set of standards for self-driving vehicles called, SAE J3016 “Levels of Driving Automation.”
These levels define the six levels of driving automation, ranging from no automation on the lowest level (“Level 0”) to full automation at the highest (“Level 5”).
Importantly, these levels establish an easily identifiable set of standards for each level of automation and creates the ability for the autonomous vehicle industry, the media, and legislative bodies to communicate about self-driving vehicles depending on the level of automation.
Below is a chart that exemplifies the automation features and capabilities of a self-driving car, depending on the level of driving automation classification.
2. WHICH COMPANIES HAVE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE INITIATIVES?
Click HERE to view the strategy, stage of development, software, and hardware used by each of these companies.
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Toyota
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Uber
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Valeo
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Volkswagen
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Volvo
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Waymo
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ZF
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Apple
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Aptive
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Baidu
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Bosch
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Continental AG
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Didi Chuxing
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Ford
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Nissan
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Nvidia
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PSA Groupe
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Samsung
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Softbank
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Tata Elixi
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Tesla
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GM
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Honda
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Huawei
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Hyundai
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Jaguar Land Rover
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Magna
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Microsoft
3. STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
Hover over each box for more info!
STAGE 1
Developing
Development can be anything from funding research, entering into partnerships with other companies, creating prototypes, coding and updating software, etc.
STAGE 2
Testing
Testing includes both controlled testing that the company performs internally as well as real world testing done on the roads.
STAGE 3
On the Market
Products on the market can include completed cars, as well as each separate piece of hardware and software that is released.
4. WHAT ABOUT SELF-DRIVING SERVICES?
Many companies are partnering, or working independently, to develop self driving services. These self-driving services are being created in hopes of providing a low-stakes opportunity for consumers to become exposed to both self-driving technology and fully autonomous vehicles.
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Consumers have a lot of skepticism about autonomous vehicles, thus companies believe that allowing people to get used to the technology in situations where the company has control of the car will allow them to feel more comfortable, rather than in a situation where the cars are available to the general public.
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Some of the self-driving services that are currently in the works are ride sharing services/robotaxis (Baidu, Aptiv, Didi Chuxing, Uber, Volvo, Waymo, ZF); public transportation (Softbank); and valet parking services (Tata Elixi).
5. WHAT TYPES OF SOFTWARE ARE BEING USED?
LiDAR
Lidar, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, uses laser pulses to build a 3D model of the environment around the car. Lidar helps autonomous vehicles “see” other objects, like cars, pedestrians, and cyclists. Lidar is not as commonly used as cameras, sensors, and radars. Lidar is very expensive.
GPS
GPS is a satellite-based navigation system. A GPS receiver on earth will observe multiple satellite signals and then calculate the time it takes for the signal to arrive from the satellite to the receiver. The receiver is then able to triangulate its position by calculating the distance from each satellite being observed.
V2X Technology
V2X Technology is based on 5.9 GHz dedicated short-range communications. The purpose of V2X is to increase road safety by allowing vehicles to communicate with one another, as well as smart infrastructure like traffic signals, to better avoid crashes or other accidents. V2X allows vehicles to send and receive messages about road conditions, like speeding cars, weather, or traffic congestion. It can also help prevent crashes by using that information to make decisions, like applying emergency braking.
5G/LTE
5G/LTE self-driving cars are being developed to add safety features, intelligent transport infrastructure, as well as other benefits. Self-driving cars without 5G are limited when unexpected or unknown situations occur. In such cases an "autopilot" will decide to deactivate the system for safety reasons and return the responsibility of driving to the human driver. If the vehicle is not taken over by the driver then the car will be moved to the roadside in a secure driving mode.
However, with 5G, the car could be controlled remotely by an external operator acting as traffic controller. This remote control through an operator is impossible without a 5G network, which offers key features such as very short response times and guaranteed network resources.
Camera Sensor
Similar to human drivers and their eyes, self-driving cars often have video cameras and sensors in order to "see" and interpret the objects in the road. By equipping cars with these cameras at every angle, the vehicles are capable of maintaining a 360° view of their external environment, thereby providing a broader picture of the traffic conditions around them.
Radar Sensor
Radar (Radio Detection and Ranging) sensors send out radio waves that detect objects and gauge their distance and speed in relation to the vehicle in real time.
Both short- and long-range radar sensors are usually deployed all around the car and each one has their different functions. For example, short range (24 GHz) radar applications enable blind spot monitoring, lane-keeping assistance, and parking aids, while long range (77 GHz) radar sensors include automatic distance control and brake assistance. Unlike camera sensors, radar systems typically have no trouble when identifying objects during fog or rain.
6. WHAT ARE SOME CHALLENGES?
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PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE
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National surveys put autonomous vehicle approval around 30-40%
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Added Cost for Companies
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Must conduct consumer trials
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Bias Between Traditional Cars and Self-Driving Cars
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On average, 90 people die in car accidents everyday, but that does not stop people from driving cars.
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However, as of January 2020, there have been 2 pedestrian fatalities (one caused by Uber and the other by Tesla) and 4 driver fatalities in self-driving car accidents.
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TECHNOLOGY
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According to experts, the technology has a long way to get to SAE level 5 automation
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This technology is so novel that we are not able to foresee all of the potential problems that may arise, so the development process is longer.
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The more connected and interactive the technology we put in cars becomes the higher the risk of it being hacked.
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some software developers encourage hackers to see if they can find weak spots within the code, and then will partner with those hackers to fix the bug they discovered in the system
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03
LEGISLATION
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State v. Federal
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Trends in federal or state legislation that apportions liability in AV accidents have major implications for the development and adoption of AVs and should be carefully monitored.
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State v. State
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Liability varies amongst states
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Only 15 States have enacted AV related bills
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