Post by Enter Nations on Apr 2, 2018 12:19:36 GMT
Autonomous vehicles: understanding the different levels of automation
This guide will help you understand autonomous vehicles, according to the Society of Automotive Engineers.
Autonomous vehicles have so many differences in automated management that it is necessary to develop a classification system to describe the progress of these technologies-and the scope of their capabilities and relative limitations.
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE for its acronym in English), which often sets the industry guidelines, cooperated to create a useful guide to levels of automation. Published for the first time in 2014, the J3016 guide has become the industry standard and has been adopted by the federal Department of Transportation and the United Nations.
The SAE establishes six levels of automation, each with a specific set of requirements that a vehicle must meet before it is considered to operate at that level.
It is important to point out that there are still many subtleties and variations in the capacity of the vehicles at each level of the SAE, a reality that has provoked criticism among the authorities that govern autonomous vehicles. But the SAE approach remains the most widely accepted system, so it is important to know and understand these levels.
Level 0: Zero automation
When a vehicle does not have any automated assistance technology, although it may have automatic cruise control devices or warn the driver of an imminent accident (without intervening). A vehicle that falls into this category depends on the driver for all driving activities.
Example: The 2005 Honda is a Level 0 vehicle.
Level 1: Assistance to the driver
Most modern passenger vehicles meet the requirements of Level 1 of the SAE scale. To meet this requirement, a vehicle must have at least one advanced driver assistance service, such as adaptive cruise control. The driver is still in command of the vehicle, but the car is capable of maintaining speed in certain circumstances. The technology that prevents the vehicle from getting out of its lane also falls into this category. Basic things.
Example: Any vehicle with adaptive cruise control or technology to keep out of the lane is at least Level 1.
Level 2: Partial automation
A Level 2 vehicle has two or more advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that in certain circumstances can control the braking, steering or acceleration of the vehicle. Examples of ADAS include adaptive cruise control, lane maintenance and automatic emergency braking, and these technologies must be applied in a coordinated manner.
These features vary in their level of sophistication, but are becoming more common and are available in almost all 2018 vehicles, except the cheapest ones. However, it is the coordination between two or more of these assistive technologies that determines whether they meet the requirements of Level 2.
It is important to know that in a Level 2 vehicle, the driver must closely monitor the operation and be ready to intervene at any time.
Examples: General Motors Super Cruise, Mercedes-Benz Distronic Plus, Nissan ProPilot Assist, Tesla Autopilot.
Level 3: Conditional automation
The jump in complexity between levels 2 and 3 is huge compared to between levels 1 and 2. A level 3 vehicle is able to take full control of the operation during certain parts of a journey when certain operating conditions are met.
For example, a vehicle that is capable of driving on a highway, except in the entrance or exit ramps, and traffic in the city, could be considered Level 3 automation. This level requires advanced sensors, backup hardware and sophisticated software to maintain occupant safety.
But the driver must remain attentive, even when the vehicle is in autonomous mode, in case of a failure. Even with Level 3, duct monitoring is a requirement to ensure that the person behind the wheel is attentive enough to take control when conditions demand it.
Google achieved a Level 3 autonomy in 2012 with its test vehicles, but determined that drivers trust too much and take a long time to regain control in case of unforeseen events. This observation led ultimately to Google decided not to bring technology to the market, so that now focuses on the automation of Level 5 with its Waymo division .
Example: Audi plans to sell the first Tier 3 vehicle to the public, but its Audi AI Traffic Jam Pilot system in the new A8 sedan is still awaiting legal approval in many countries, including the United States.
Level 4: High automation
Level 4 is where things start to look a bit like the movie "Minority Report" and where real autonomous systems come into play. A Level 4 vehicle is capable of completing a full journey without the intervention of the driver, it can even operate without a driver, but with some limitations. For example, a Level 4 vehicle may be confined to a certain geographical area or be prohibited from operating above a certain speed.
In a Level 4 vehicle the driver probably keeps some controls, such as the steering wheel and pedals, for cases where he has to take control.
Example: There are no Level 4 production vehicles that the public can buy.
Level 5: Total automation
Level 5 is the definitive goal of autonomous vehicle developers. Level 5 allows completely autonomous management in all circumstances and does not include any human control. In theory, the occupants can dedicate themselves completely to look at the landscape, enjoy a videogame or do what they see without any concern for the act of driving.
A Level 5 autonomous vehicle has no geographical restrictions and can theoretically travel safely at any speed, thanks to advanced software, vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-environment communications.
General Motors is the company that has most defended the efforts for a commercially viable vehicle of Level 5 in the near future, with its Cruise test cars . However, many in the industry are concerned that GM has developed the Icarus complex and is much further away from what it thinks of achieving Level 5 autonomy.
It is difficult to imagine a world in which autonomous Level 5 vehicles are the norm, to which everyone has access. If that happens, how would it change our lives? We no longer need to worry so much about traffic and its laws. We could work while the autonomous vehicle takes us to the work center or dispatch the vehicle to do something while we do something else. Maybe we do not even have to buy a vehicle, since we could order one from a service.
At the end of the day, it will probably be a long time before Level 5 becomes a reality, if it ever happens. But even if it takes several decades for a majority of vehicles to have total autonomy, it is important to understand how the development of these technologies affects the way we drive today.
This guide will help you understand autonomous vehicles, according to the Society of Automotive Engineers.
Autonomous vehicles have so many differences in automated management that it is necessary to develop a classification system to describe the progress of these technologies-and the scope of their capabilities and relative limitations.
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE for its acronym in English), which often sets the industry guidelines, cooperated to create a useful guide to levels of automation. Published for the first time in 2014, the J3016 guide has become the industry standard and has been adopted by the federal Department of Transportation and the United Nations.
The SAE establishes six levels of automation, each with a specific set of requirements that a vehicle must meet before it is considered to operate at that level.
It is important to point out that there are still many subtleties and variations in the capacity of the vehicles at each level of the SAE, a reality that has provoked criticism among the authorities that govern autonomous vehicles. But the SAE approach remains the most widely accepted system, so it is important to know and understand these levels.
Level 0: Zero automation
When a vehicle does not have any automated assistance technology, although it may have automatic cruise control devices or warn the driver of an imminent accident (without intervening). A vehicle that falls into this category depends on the driver for all driving activities.
Example: The 2005 Honda is a Level 0 vehicle.
Level 1: Assistance to the driver
Most modern passenger vehicles meet the requirements of Level 1 of the SAE scale. To meet this requirement, a vehicle must have at least one advanced driver assistance service, such as adaptive cruise control. The driver is still in command of the vehicle, but the car is capable of maintaining speed in certain circumstances. The technology that prevents the vehicle from getting out of its lane also falls into this category. Basic things.
Example: Any vehicle with adaptive cruise control or technology to keep out of the lane is at least Level 1.
Level 2: Partial automation
A Level 2 vehicle has two or more advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that in certain circumstances can control the braking, steering or acceleration of the vehicle. Examples of ADAS include adaptive cruise control, lane maintenance and automatic emergency braking, and these technologies must be applied in a coordinated manner.
These features vary in their level of sophistication, but are becoming more common and are available in almost all 2018 vehicles, except the cheapest ones. However, it is the coordination between two or more of these assistive technologies that determines whether they meet the requirements of Level 2.
It is important to know that in a Level 2 vehicle, the driver must closely monitor the operation and be ready to intervene at any time.
Examples: General Motors Super Cruise, Mercedes-Benz Distronic Plus, Nissan ProPilot Assist, Tesla Autopilot.
Level 3: Conditional automation
The jump in complexity between levels 2 and 3 is huge compared to between levels 1 and 2. A level 3 vehicle is able to take full control of the operation during certain parts of a journey when certain operating conditions are met.
For example, a vehicle that is capable of driving on a highway, except in the entrance or exit ramps, and traffic in the city, could be considered Level 3 automation. This level requires advanced sensors, backup hardware and sophisticated software to maintain occupant safety.
But the driver must remain attentive, even when the vehicle is in autonomous mode, in case of a failure. Even with Level 3, duct monitoring is a requirement to ensure that the person behind the wheel is attentive enough to take control when conditions demand it.
Google achieved a Level 3 autonomy in 2012 with its test vehicles, but determined that drivers trust too much and take a long time to regain control in case of unforeseen events. This observation led ultimately to Google decided not to bring technology to the market, so that now focuses on the automation of Level 5 with its Waymo division .
Example: Audi plans to sell the first Tier 3 vehicle to the public, but its Audi AI Traffic Jam Pilot system in the new A8 sedan is still awaiting legal approval in many countries, including the United States.
Level 4: High automation
Level 4 is where things start to look a bit like the movie "Minority Report" and where real autonomous systems come into play. A Level 4 vehicle is capable of completing a full journey without the intervention of the driver, it can even operate without a driver, but with some limitations. For example, a Level 4 vehicle may be confined to a certain geographical area or be prohibited from operating above a certain speed.
In a Level 4 vehicle the driver probably keeps some controls, such as the steering wheel and pedals, for cases where he has to take control.
Example: There are no Level 4 production vehicles that the public can buy.
Level 5: Total automation
Level 5 is the definitive goal of autonomous vehicle developers. Level 5 allows completely autonomous management in all circumstances and does not include any human control. In theory, the occupants can dedicate themselves completely to look at the landscape, enjoy a videogame or do what they see without any concern for the act of driving.
A Level 5 autonomous vehicle has no geographical restrictions and can theoretically travel safely at any speed, thanks to advanced software, vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-environment communications.
General Motors is the company that has most defended the efforts for a commercially viable vehicle of Level 5 in the near future, with its Cruise test cars . However, many in the industry are concerned that GM has developed the Icarus complex and is much further away from what it thinks of achieving Level 5 autonomy.
It is difficult to imagine a world in which autonomous Level 5 vehicles are the norm, to which everyone has access. If that happens, how would it change our lives? We no longer need to worry so much about traffic and its laws. We could work while the autonomous vehicle takes us to the work center or dispatch the vehicle to do something while we do something else. Maybe we do not even have to buy a vehicle, since we could order one from a service.
At the end of the day, it will probably be a long time before Level 5 becomes a reality, if it ever happens. But even if it takes several decades for a majority of vehicles to have total autonomy, it is important to understand how the development of these technologies affects the way we drive today.
Share this Topic: