We live in a technological era in which more and more devices and devices are able to connect to the Internet and offer intelligent functions. The IoT is a reality although it still has a long way to go, however, in addition to our homes, there are many technologies that are reaching our vehicles and that are helping the development of the self-driving car.
A long time ago, mechanics was everything a car needed to function, little by little it has been including more and more electronics and today, there are many technologies that we can find in any model on the market. However, the car of the future will use a host of technologies with the aim of being able to operate autonomously.
A bit of history about the self-driving car
When we talk about self-driving car, everyone relates it to the present and future in the automotive world, however, it is not as new as we think. Since the creation of the first car, the possibility of self-driving driving has always been in mind. So much so, that in late 1926 a small Milwaukee company introduced a system capable of radio control of a car. However, there are many other systems presented over the years with the intention of demonstrating the possibility of having an self-driving car.
1936 : During the Futurama trade fair sponsored by General Motors, an electric vehicle was presented that was controlled by an electrical circuit embedded in the road itself.
1980 : On this occasion, a vision-guided Mercedes Benz van was shown, designed by Ernst Dickmanns and his own team from the University of Munich, which reached 100km / h on a journey without traffic.
In this same year, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), showed the first vehicle that worked using radar, laser and computerized vision.
1987 : HRL Labs demonstrated that a vehicle could be built that could design its own route once off the map. The vehicle managed to move 600 meters through terrain with all kinds of obstacles.
1994 : It only took a few years to see how two twin robot vehicles, VaMP and Vita-2, were able to drive more than a thousand kilometers alone on a three-lane highway and with the usual traffic. Both vehicles reached top speeds of up to 130 km / h and operated autonomously with small human interventions.
1995 : Again at the hands of the Dickmanns team, a Mercedes S-class made a round trip between Munich and Copenhagen, using a computer vision system with saccades and a computer to react in real time. The vehicle managed to reach a speed of up to 175km / h on certain German motorways and was able to make the trip 95% autonomously.
2014 : Audio brought its autonomous RS7 model up to 240km / h on the German circuit in Hockenheim. He completed a lap of the circuit in a time of just over two minutes and 5 seconds faster than the same model piloted by one person.
2015 : Again the German manufacturer Audi, showed an SQ5 that used an autonomous driving system developed by the company itself in collaboration with Delphi. A car that managed to cover more than 5,000 km in 9 days without the engineers in the car having to touch the steering wheel, only on a couple of occasions.
In that same year, a fleet of 25 self-driving cars designed by Google traveled more than a million kilometers autonomously under the supervision of a human behind the wheel. It was also in 2015 when the University of Michigan put into operation a town on whose streets self-driving vehicles could be tested and when in Argentina two units of the first self-driving car prototype manufactured in that country were tested. A vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals.
Currently : We have been able to see a lot of tests of self-driving cars and many manufacturers are working hard to offer a 100% autonomous car. However, the presence of driving assistants that allow semi-autonomous driving is increasingly common in certain models from different manufacturers.
What is an self-driving car and how it works
As we have just seen, the self-driving car is not something new or futuristic, since it has been testing and investigating for many years. Now, as its name indicates, an self-driving car is one that is capable of moving by itself , without the interaction of the driver, respecting traffic signals and regulations, being able to make decisions based on everything that surrounds it and being able to recalculate the route to your destination in case of any unforeseen during the trip.
As for the operation, the evolution of the cars has led us to see how today there are many models on the market that are able to turn the lights on or off for us, start the windshield wipers or even park them alone. This is not to mention certain systems or devices that can tell us where we are, connect with a helpline or monitor if the driver is distracted, tired or with symptoms of sleep at the wheel.
Today’s cars have evolved above all at the technology level , including the development of electric motors, and it is already possible to see certain models of semi-autonomous cars. Modern cars have all kinds of systems, sensors, radars and devices that allow us to know everything that is happening and what is around them, if we add to this the new electric directions and the control controls without mechanical connection, we have the basis the self-driving car.
However, an autonomous driving system must be able to make decisions in milliseconds and adapt to everything around it, its own traffic and elements that can interfere with driving such as pedestrians themselves, etc.
That is why, an self-driving car is equipped with all kinds of sensors, lasers, radars, cameras or even sonar . All kinds of systems that help you know everything you have around you and how to act accordingly. In addition, they have systems that allow the construction of situation maps in real time and in 360º.
From there, the car itself, depending on the destination, must be able to calculate the route and make the journey respecting traffic regulations, controlling speed and steering wheel and, of course, the safety of the occupants, the rest of the vehicles that circulate in our environment, pedestrians, etc.
All the information is analyzed and processed through the car’s processor, which is in charge of managing or sending the actions to be carried out by the actuators that control the steering wheel, brakes, accelerator, etc. All the data captured by the different sensors and systems are processed using algorithms and artificial intelligence so that the car knows how to react and learns how to react before possible situations.
Self-driving car driving levels
Until arriving at an self-driving car capable of moving 100% on its own and making all kinds of decisions without a driver behind the wheel, different levels of autonomy have been established according to its capabilities. In this way, up to 6 levels of autonomy are distinguished:
Level 0: Without assistance
It is the initial level or starting point in which there is no assistance. In other words, the driving mode that we have known in the last decades and where the driver is in charge of carrying out all the tasks of driving. The driver is therefore who is in command and who has complete control of the vehicle. Many of the cars we see on the street are at this level 0 of autonomy.
Level 1: Assisted driving or basic autonomy
At this level are those models that have one or more systems capable of controlling speed, direction or braking. That is, those vehicles equipped with driving assistance systems such as involuntary lane change alerts, cruise control systems or automatic emergency braking systems. A level where, despite having driving assistance systems, the driver is the one who continues to control the car.
Level 2: Partial autonomy
Level 2 is what could be considered as the principle of autonomy. A car of this level is one that has the ability to take control of both the direction and acceleration and braking of the vehicle, but only under certain conditions and for short periods of time. In this sense, cars with systems capable of performing certain actions of the driver himself are included in this level.
For example, models that have adaptive cruise control systems, that is, they are able to maintain a speed but also adapt it according to traffic or other circumstances at a given time or those with automatic parking systems, in which that it is the car itself that takes control of the steering wheel and pedals to park it.
Level 3: Conditional autonomy or semi-autonomy
At level 3 is the level where the car truly begins to take control. Included in this level are vehicles capable of driving autonomously for long periods of time and capable of performing certain driver actions, analyzing the environment and making decisions on their own.
However, at this level you still need a human driver who is behind the wheel attentive to any situation in which you have to do with the controls of the car. A level of autonomy where the famous Tesla Autopilot is located and which also meets a legal vacuum when it comes to granting driver responsibility in case of emergency.
Level 4: High autonomy or automation
This level of autonomy is already future, although hopefully not too far away. It is known as a high autonomy or automation level and where the car must be able to circulate autonomously, make decisions without the intervention of the driver and even without the need for a person to be aware.
All systems and devices with which a level 4 self-driving car must be equipped, must be able to constantly monitor everything that happens inside and outside the car. To such an extent that if we encounter an adverse weather situation, the car can make the decision to park in a safe place and wait for the situation to be resolved to resume the trip.
At this level, the driver will only interact with the car to indicate their destination, although they could always take control of the vehicle if they wanted to. Some manufacturers have already announced they have Tier 4 self-driving vehicles in just under a year. There are certain vehicles in tests with this level of autonomy, such as Google cars and certain models from other manufacturers.
Level 5: Complete autonomy
It is the last step, where the self-driving car must be 100% autonomous. A scenario where it will not be necessary for cars to have either a steering wheel or pedals and where the driver will become one more occupant. A level where perhaps, the orders can be given through the voice and where human interaction will be null.
Although the jump between level 4 and 5 does not seem too much, the truth is that it involves overcoming a lot of challenges at a technical level to ensure correct behavior of the car in any circumstance or scenario. So much so, that at the moment there is no date to see a level 5 self-driving car.
Legislation in Spain
The great advances in the development of self-driving cars, makes the probability of seeing these types of vehicles capable of moving with total autonomy and without the need for a driver, a reality in a few years. However, this possibility raises a series of legal questions.
And it is that before these cars are circulating on the roads of our country, there are many laws that must be reviewed and modified. Especially those that have to do with civil liability and criminal liability.
As far as civil liability is concerned, today the responsibility in the event of an accident falls entirely on the driver, but … what will happen when there is no longer a person behind the wheel? Sometimes it has been said that part of the responsibility could fall on the manufacturer itself or even the public administration in the case of self-driving cars that provide public services.
Now, the companies in charge of developing the software could also be partly to blame, since the car’s decisions would be made based on how they are programmed and taking into account their ability to learn thanks to artificial intelligence.
With regard to criminal liability , in the event of an accident it seems clear that liability could not be attributed to the driver, since this figure will not exist as such. Therefore, consideration should be given to whether again the responsibility or responsibility of the software responsible for operating the self-driving car could be attributed to the manufacturer or company responsible.
One of the possible solutions that are already being considered at this point is the installation of black boxes that allow us to know if at the time of the accident the car was traveling autonomously or if, on the contrary, it had taken control of some of the occupants and all and each of the circumstances that generated said accident and whether the car’s systems responded as they should or there was a failure at that level. In this way, it would be easier to decide who would be responsible in each case.
Future of the self-driving car and how it can change our lives
Although there is no date when the self-driving car will be a reality, what is clear is that its arrival will mean changes in mobility, the economy and surely, the appearance of cities. Not to mention that the concept of car ownership could also possibly change.
Everything indicates that self-driving cars will be used much more than current cars, although that may seem like a lie. However, the way of use will vary greatly with what we are used to today. The first change would be in the ownership model, while now everyone owns a car, while car-sharing is spreading , the arrival of the self-driving car could cause the use of the car to intensify much more, but in their place will not be cars in property but the shared use will be extended.
In this way, we can request that a car come to our house and take us to work and forget about traffic jams and parking problems. This implies that our way of life will change, the car will become a service instead of a property, we will not have parking problems, traffic jams will be reduced, fewer accidents will occur and therefore the large number of victims will be ended. Every year there is on the road, the logistics of shipping goods will be improved and we will have much cleaner cities by reducing emissions today.
Now, the big question is: when is the 100% self-driving car ?. Well, the truth is that there is no specific date, since reaching a level 5 of autonomy is not an easy task. In addition, as we have previously commented, before we see autonomous cars rolling down the roads of our country, the legislation that surrounds them must be clearly defined.
However, one of the critical points in the development of the self-driving car is the cost of the LIDAR. Sensors that have already been used by some manufacturers such as Google, Ford, Toyota, Nissan or Volkswagen, but which is associated with great complexity when integrating them in the car itself and a high cost.
However, to boost and accelerate the arrival of the self-driving car , at the last CES of this same year 2020, we have been able to see how several manufacturers have presented their new low-cost LIDAR. Therefore, this advance can make the development of all self-driving car prototypes benefit from these low-cost LIDARs .
Let us remember that LIDAR is the initials of Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging or what is the same, a system for measuring and detecting objects using lasers. Basically, it is an emitter of infrared laser beams, not visible to the human eye, and a receiving lens capable of seeing those rays. In this way, the system will be able to know everything around the car since any object will make those rays bounce and it can know with great precision each one of the objects that surround us and the distance to each one of them.
On the other hand, the reliability and safety that self-driving cars can offer is another great concern, after seeing some of the cases in which self-driving car prototypes have been involved in traffic accidents.
