Where are the autonomous cars?

Artificial intelligence in general has been undergoing steady growth for decades. This improvement affects many areas, especially traffic. If we use this to operate more and more driving aids, are we approaching the existence of fully autonomous cars?

This article follows something we define as artificial intelligence as a field of innovation.

Artificial intelligence for driving assistance

As for the cars, no complete autonomous model is yet available to the public. The development of such a type of vehicle requires long test phases. These have not yet come to their terms. However, it has been several years since the latest car interiors exploded with AI. The deeplearning Improves many features of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems). Take smart travel control for example. This feature changes the look of the car when it comes to range. Thanks to deep artificial neural networks, the computer “learns” to recognize these objects. To do this, it is provided with multiple data collected by the sensors. This recognition does not need to be coded by hand, which greatly facilitates the development of this type of technology.

An example: Tesla Auto Pilot

The young company integrates this functionality with additional payment options in all its cars. Among other things, it allows:

• Maintain its path
• Park alone
• Exit a motorway
• Change overtaking paths (with driver pre-authorization)

Note that this method only works on two voices and the path entered in the GPS. In addition, all of these features require the driver’s attention. The latter requires checking certain actions, in particular Keep your hands on the wheel. Otherwise, the car will signal it in different ways until it blocks the automatic pilot for the trip. If building a fully autonomous vehicle is one of Tesla’s ambitions, the brand has not yet reached this level. However, she mentions on her site that all her models have the necessary equipment for this. Can it be soon?

What is an autonomous car?

It is a vehicle that combines sensors, cameras and radars with artificial intelligence and can be driven without any human control. The latter therefore benefits from a multifaceted database for learning and modifying all possible driving situations. If this idea was part of science fiction a few decades ago, it is now a growing field of research. In addition to contributing to the development of driving aids. LArtificial intelligence paves the way for an autonomous car.

Ranking for a car’s autonomous capabilities

Definitely, there are no official terms yet. For now, these vehicles are classified in limited quantities At SAE International 2014. This system specializes in automobile engineering and ranks in 6 levels (0-5). Cars that control everything in the drive belong to level 0. As for the automated pilot mode, its functions oscillate between the second and third. To reach the fourth level, a car can go without its owner under certain circumstances. Finally, an autonomous car with a full power system in all situations is similar to the last stage of this scale: Level 5. MyWe will discuss this in detail in our article on the 6 levels of autonomy of a vehicle.

The beginning of the international regulation for self-driving cars

In June 2020, the UN. Announced the first base shared by sixty countries in automated route systems.

“These international regulations relate to SAE Level 3 autonomous vehicles, which are equipped with automation systems and are primarily responsible for maintaining the road, which can be enforced under certain conditions. A driver must be able to regain control of the vehicle, pedestrians and cyclists must not be allowed to drive there, and both traffic The road must be physically divided between directions. The maximum allowable speed at which these systems can travel is 60 km / h. ” Digital Factory – An article on these terms was published on June 25, 2020 by Lena Gorod

To ensure that the driver can quickly regain control, The rule dictates that his vehicle can control the amount of his presence and attention. For example, by measuring, his eyes light up and the movements of his head. In addition to this device, this level 3 autonomous cars should include a black box.

Concrete autonomous cars in development

Numerous players in recent years have come down with some confidence in this ambitious test. However, the task proves to be much more difficult than expected, and the democratization of these vehicles does not yet seem to exist. Take the example of the American company Wemo and its taxis parked in Phoenix. Although these have SAE level 4 properties, they are not yet free of all typos. In fact, US YouTuber JJ Ricks Studios recently discovered an error when borrowing one of these vehicles. When entering the multi-lane road, the car came to a stop where it saw traffic cones on it. The result is a traffic jam that lasts several minutes and a passenger who has to call for technical assistance.

Although these taxis shop properly in the reduced space provided by the capital of Arizona, They still need to be used outside of upgrades. If you like this topic, please consult further: Vemo: Everything About Google Car.

Wemo’s competitor: Cruise

Phoenix taxis are far from the only autonomous vehicle effort dedicated to transporting people. In fact, on the streets of San Francisco you will find cars without a foreign driver bearing the “Cruise” logo. Developed in 2013 and acquired by General Motors in March 2016, the launch also focuses on this technology. Built on the basis of the City car Chevrolet Bolt, its vehicles accumulate data across the city and upgrade. Ultimately, the goal is to launch Cruise Origin: a vehicle without a steering wheel and pedals that can accommodate up to six passengers. The company wants to introduce a new transportation experience with this car. Keep in mind that it has received investments Microsoft And Walmart Among others.

Some autonomous car projects on the old continent

Europe and its carmakers are not left to ambitious plans of this kind. In fact, 2018 marks the arrival of autonomous electric concept cars. :

• The E-Legend de Peugeot It takes the 504 year old 504 coupe design. It should never see daylight. In fact, the CEO explained that its production was not planned for 2019 at the moment given its high cost.
• The SUV Vision Inext BMW This shows the design that the brand has taken for its new power range iX.
• Volvo and its driverless car: Volvo 360C. With this concept, the company shows its vision of an autonomous vehicle: a convenient mode of transportation in which you do everything except drive.
• The Mercedes Vision Urban It offers a chassis suitable for different bodies and applications.

Renault Z Pro: Automated car service delivery

The diamond company also showed its vision in 2018. So it released three different comments: The EZ-GO The so-called shared movement, The EZ-LAST For a premium and luxurious experience and EZ-PRO For urban distribution. The latter allows both the delivery man to better organize his work and store larger quantities of goods without having to worry about driving. There are two types of vehicles in this consideration. The first leads and can accommodate an expert in a cockpit with the entire control panel to manage deliveries. Second, he strictly follows the instructions given by the conductor to bring the packages safely.

When will the fully autonomous car arrive?

If level 2 or 3 autonomous functions become more and more widespread in the following years, this does not really apply to the above two digits. There is still a long way to go from a concept to a reliable and safe production vehicle. It is really difficult to design sensors that work in all situations and artificial intelligence that fully responds to the most complex situations. Tito for roads and laws to be modified. Although expected in early 2021, the democratization of autonomous cars will not be seen for many years.

What are the benefits of self-driving cars?

Among them, We can cite the elimination of human errors while driving and thus the reduction of accidents For example. Thanks to these vehicles, people with limited mobility can also access a personalized transportation system despite their disabilities. In more detail, roads and their users should see a significant reduction in congestion and recessions. We leave you with a video explaining this matter from the CGP Gray channel.