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Autonomous Driving

Published By: Ethane Joseph

Autonomous Driving

Self driven cars, no longer an imagination, are going to be a reality in today’s world where computers are preparing to control and drive vehicles without human intervention. We are looking at driverless, robot, or autonomous vehicles.

What are the levels?

Autonomous driving is here with work going on globally for five levels.

Level 1: This is where we are today driving our cars with Driver Assistance as basic automation. There are features like adaptive cruise control systems or lane keep assistance for long drives. There are radars for safe distance between vehicles. For example, 2018 model of Toyota Corolla.

Level 2: With a driver at the wheel, Partial Automation controls speed and steering to be centred. For example: the Audi traffic jam assist.

Level 3: This is Conditional Automation. Vehicles drive themselves, but with limitations like certain speeds on highways with dividers. Humans take over in unfulfilled conditions. For example: the 2019 model Audi A8.

Level 4: These vehicles have High Automation features with restrictions. Enter your destination and autonomous driving takes over. For example: an under test model coming up by Waymo.

Level 5: This is the highest level with Full Automation and no human drivers at any stage. Such vehicles, without pedals and steering wheels, will drive, navigate, and manoeuvre on all roads. Sit back and enjoy the journey!

What makes it autonomous?

Each level is connected with features, software, and systems like sensors, processors, machine learning, actuators, complex algorithms, etc. Radars detect movement and position of other vehicles. Video cameras take in live images of nearby vehicles, moving people, traffic signals, pedestrians etc. They read road signs for safe driving. All data will be transmitted to the cloud and guide the vehicle to drive, navigate, and park.

Why do we need?

Smart vehicles will do wonders for the environment by reducing carbon emission and using lesser fuels. They will give safe driving with no human errors and less accidents and traffic jams. It will reduce the stress of driving, navigating, and parking and save travel time with greater accessibility to commuting.

What are the drawbacks?

There may be issues with sensors not reading accurately and sufficiently for self driving. Numerous technology applications will raise costs. There could also be technology errors and lesser privacy for co passengers in vehicle sharing.

Autonomous Driving depends a lot on AI, virtual reality and IoT since huge amount of data has to be detected, scanned, analysed, transmitted, and executed.  It may thus require the faster wireless 5G rather than 4G technologies.

Self directed and independent driving will explode our world soon.Read more...