Meta-Trends 2021 & Beyond - Part 3: Full Speed Ahead with Autonomous Vehicles
In our last article on Meta-trends, we explored the Internet of Things (IoT) and the many possibilities of a more interconnected future. Integral to this new life connecting people with smart devices will be new business models that facilitate machine to machine (M2M) communication and micropayments occurring automatically between vendor platforms and other machines.
And a great example of how this streamlined future will be connected is how we will travel via autonomous vehicles—no need to keep our eyes on the road. First, let’s look at the different degrees of automation available today and in the future.
There are five basic levels of autonomy in vehicles. These are:
Zero - No Automation: This includes cars from over decades ago and those on the road today, with only regular cruise control, for long-distance driving and minimizing the risk of a speeding ticket. Warning and intervention systems like engine maintenance lights and collision sensitive airbags are also included at this starting point.
Level 1 - Driver Assistance: At this level, we see adaptive cruise control and lane assist if the driver is experiencing fatigue. Cruise control keeps a safe distance between a vehicle and the car ahead using radar and cameras to automatically brake when traffic slows, resuming speed as traffic allows. Lane-keep assist nudges the vehicle back into its lane should it veer off. Longitudinal control, accelerating, and braking are included. However, a driver is still required to be in control. This autonomy is available in most cars today.
Level 2 - Partial Automation: Level 2 automation helps control speed and steering. The driver, however, keeps hands on the wheel, ready to take control at any time. This automation helps with stop-and-go traffic, maintaining the distance between vehicles while providing steering assistance, centering the car within its lane. Lateral as well as longitudinal control, are integrated here with acceleration/braking and lane changing assistance. Tesla Autopilot, Volvo Pilot Assist, Audi Traffic Jam Assist are Level 2 autonomous systems available today.
Level 3 - Conditional Automation: Level 3 autonomous vehicles can drive themselves, but only under ideal conditions and with limitations, including limited-access divided highways. Hands are off the wheel, but drivers need to take over if road conditions change unexpectedly. Lateral and longitudinal controls are included with Object Event Detection, and Response (OEDR) limited to an operational design domain (ODD). The 2019 Audi A8 was the first to market a level 3 autonomous driving system.
Level 4 - High Automation: Level 4 autonomous vehicles drive themselves without human interactions, but since the AI/ deep learning is not yet up to the level of handling all unknown situations, they are restricted to known use cases. Lateral and longitudinal control is included with OEDR, and minimal driver attention is required. Waymo is testing Level 4 vehicles able to drive solo in most environments, but regulations constrict availability.
Level 5 - Full Automation: Level 5 autonomy is the completely driverless car that monitors all variables, maneuvering through all road/weather conditions, without human intervention. This eliminates the need for a steering wheel, gas, or brake pedals. Though some of the technological components exist for level 5 today, these vehicles may be years away due to regulations and legal battles.
Safety has been a concern for passengers of autonomous vehicles, and lawmakers are keenly aware of this. Twenty-nine states -- including those with the most roads and drivers -- California, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Washington D.C., and others enacted AV-related legislation.
The necessary safety technology for AV progresses by leaps and bounds, bringing us closer to fully automated vehicles. Just a few days ago, on December 3rd, Luminar’s stock (NASDAQ: LAZR) started trading on Wallstreet after completing its special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) deal with Gores Metropoulos (NASDAQ: GMHI). The company develops automotive LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) hardware and software technology so vehicles can “see” other objects. Its capabilities range from vehicle detection/classification to actually learning from that experience. LiDAR technology is essential for safe, fast AVs. Luminar, led by a 25-year-old entrepreneur, Austin Russel, already lists over 50 commercial partners, including 12 of the world’s 15 top vehicle makers.
As these autonomous vehicles of the near future naturally integrate into the Internet of Things (discussed in our previous article), they will require a secure yet transparent method of efficient communication not only with directing humans but with other machines or what is known as M2M communication. Through these seamless connections facilitated by blockchain, vehicles will be able to recharge themselves, pay for parking, tolls, and even pay registration fees with micropayments if necessary using smart contracts and without bothering us, humans. HDAC tech, headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, backed by Hyundai in Korea, has developed a system for these M2M data exchanges, assessments, and payments.
Many are optimistic in projections for total automation in vehicles, most recently from Elon Musk of Tesla recently at the World Artificial Conference in Shangai: I’m extremely confident that Level 5 autonomy, or essentially complete autonomy, will happen, and I think it will happen very quickly,” Musk said in a video message. “I remain confident that [Tesla] will have the basic functionality for Level 5 autonomy complete this year.”
Others estimate that complete AVs may not pass all safety requirements until 2025. Time will tell. Follow us at Beyond Enterprize in our journey into the future as we explore future technology's tremendous potential.
