What is Autonomous Driving and what you need to know

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Autonomous Driving? An Introduction

Self-driving cars have certainly fuelled the imagination of manufacturers, governments, consumers and other stakeholders. However, despite the increased enthusiasm for the mass-migration to autonomous driving, the road ahead has significant challenges.

Some of these challenges, include: technology, regulation and consumer confidence. Replicating human behaviour and decision making in a complex environment, like driving, is no easy task! Despite all the progress enabled by artificial intelligence (AI), LIDAR technology, sensors, cameras, software, algorithms etc, we are not anyway close to accurately replicating human driving behaviour.

There is no doubt, in that, self-driving cars will redefine the fundamental relationship between consumers and mobility, to an extent that would have been unimaginable a decade ago. We are already witnessing glimpses of ‘this future’ in self-driving concept cars, like the Renault SYMBIOZ.

In the UK, the government has also shown its support for the self-driving revolution. The UK government has announced new plans backed by a £100 million investment, with a view that self-driving vehicles could be rolled out in the UK by 2025.

According to the UK government, “Self-driving vehicles could revolutionise public transport and passenger travel, especially for those who don’t drive, better connect rural communities and reduce road collisions caused by human error. Further in the future, they could, for example, provide tailored on-demand links from rural towns and villages to existing public transport options nearby. They could also provide more direct and timely services that enable people to better access vital services such as schools and medical appointments.”

Despite all the enthusiasm, we at e-zoomed believe achieving full driving automation will take longer. So do not be in a hurry to discard your drivers license, just yet!

Autonomous Driving: FAQ’s
What is autonomous driving?	Autonomous driving or self-driving cars are fully automated vehicles, making obsolete human involvement for driving. It is the next generation of road mobility, which combines sensors, cameras, data, artificial intelligence, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), software and much more, within a ‘connected ecosystem’. Driverless cars are very closely related to the electric vehicle (EV) revolution. Both technologies are a paradigm shift, redefining the traditional automotive industry beyond recognition. Indeed, most of the latest electric vehicles have been developed to enable semi-automated driving capability. Fully autonomous vehicles have to replicate human driving behaviour, decision making and much more. The autonomous vehicle has to be capable of identifying and processing information, to include, road conditions, nearby vehicles, traffic, speed, braking, pedestrians, events not anticipated and much more. The road to full autonomous driving is still at nascent stages and not an easy road. Accidents during development and testing phases have made global headlines.
What are the benefits of autonomous driving?	There are many advantages for semi-autonomous and fully autonomous driving, but none potentially as significant as reducing traffic accidents and related deaths. According to the International Organization for Road Accidents Prevention, 90 percent of accidents are due to human error.
Which companies are involved with self-driving cars?	A host of different types of companies have been investing resources in this sector, to include, automobile manufactures like Tesla, but also companies like Uber, Lyft, Google and Apple. Uber has much to gain from autonomous driving as it makes drivers redundant i.e. lower costs. All these companies envision a zero-accident future.
When will self-driving cars become a reality?	Predictions and forecasts for mass adoption of autonomous vehicles are varied, with management consultancy firm McKinsey predicting as early as 2030. The consultancy also suggests that commercial autonomous vehicles like robo-taxis could be mainstream, much sooner, potentially as early as 2020-2022. Other third party forecasts suggest up to 8 million autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles on the road by 2025.
How many levels of autonomous driving?	According to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), there are 6 level of driving automation: Level 0, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4 and Level 5.

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Levels Of Autonomous Driving (Source: SAE)	Human Involvement	Features
SAE Level 0: No Driving Automation	The driver is driving when this level is engaged. The driver must constantly supervise the support features; must steer, brake or accelerate to maintain safety.	Limited to providing warnings and momentary assistance. Example features: automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, lane departure warning.
SAE Level 1: Driver Assistance	The driver is driving when this level is engaged. The driver must constantly supervise the support features; must steer, brake or accelerate to maintain safety.	Provide steering OR brake/ acceleration support to the driver. Example features: lane centering OR adaptive cruise control.
SAE Level 2: Partial Driving Automation	The driver is driving when this level is engaged. The driver must constantly supervise the support features; must steer, brake or accelerate to maintain safety.	Provide steering AND brake/ acceleration support to the driver. Example features: lane centering AND adaptive cruise control.
SAE Level 3: Conditional Driving Automation	The driver is not driving, even if seated in the driver’s seat. However, when the feature requests, the driver must drive.	These features can drive the vehicle under limited conditions and will not operate unless all required conditions are met. Example features: traffic jam chauffeur.
SAE Level 4: High Driving Automation	The driver is not driving, even if seated in the driver’s seat. This automated level will not require for the individual to take over driving.	These features can drive the vehicle under limited conditions and will not operate unless all required conditions are met. Example features: local driverless taxi, pedals/ steering wheel may or may not be installed.
SAE Level 5: Full Driving Automation	The driver is not driving, even if seated in the driver’s seat. This automated level will not require for the individual to take over driving.	This feature can drive the vehicle under all conditions. Examples features: same as Level 4, but feature can drive in all conditions.

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