Autonomous vehicles. What is worth knowing about them? - motogazeta mojaauto.pl

The first conclusion about autonomous vehicles suggests itself - the driver will become unnecessary. However, this will not happen right away. Autonomous driving is similar to the electrification of cars. This is a gradual process that began many years ago, is progressing faster and faster today and, according to the producers' announcements, will be fully developed in a few years.

Solutions that relieve drivers from some of their duties are already present in the latest, mass-produced cars. The future is, for example, Guardian systems, which will replace the driver in dangerous situations, and Chauffeur, which will completely replace them. Today, only a few global car companies from Japan, China, the USA, Sweden and Germany are really intensively working on the development of autonomous cars. Systems that can be considered semi-autonomous have already appeared on board many modern models. However, they are still far from real autonomy, i.e. driving without the participation and attention of the driver.

To make it easier to understand the various systems created by corporations and research centers, a five-level scale has been developed that determines the degree of driving automation. Of course, at the beginning there are the simplest systems that support the performance of individual activities behind the wheel.

What do car autonomy levels mean?

What level of autonomy do we have today?

The latest models of modern cars are at the second level and have the ability to drive semi-autonomously. Already next year, new cars will appear on the market, representing an even higher, third level of autonomy. Such opportunities will be provided by the latest active safety systems.

The Japanese concern Toyota has already introduced to its latest Corolla, RAV4 and Supra models extensive Toyota Safety Sense 2nd generation safety systems. It includes e.g. Enhanced Auto Braking with Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection (PCS), Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control (IACC), which helps the driver maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead by adjusting the car's speed to that of the car in front, even to the point of coming to a complete stop.

What's more, IACC combines the functions of cruise control and traffic sign recognition - just pressing a button and the car adjusts its pace to the speed limit sign. Lane Trace Assist (LTA) keeps the car centered in its lane with gentle steering inputs even on curves. If the lane lines are blurred, the car follows the path taken by the car in front.

The system also recognizes road edges on roads where no lines have been painted. The Automatic High Beam (AHB) system automatically switches the headlamps between low and high beam modes to avoid dazzling other drivers.

How does the car avoid obstacles by itself?

In the case of Lexus, the system uses cameras to monitor the position of the car in relation to the lines marking the edges of the lane, and using the electric power steering, corrects the car's trajectory so that the vehicle moves within your lane. After activating the turn signal, it safely changes lanes automatically, taking into account the presence of other vehicles and informing the driver about the situation via the head-up display.

The new Lexus ES' LSS+ system can detect moving obstacles, including when manoeuvring, and automatically bring the car to a stop if necessary. It will behave the same at an intersection if there is another car in the collision course - and when reversing, if crossing pedestrians or vehicles behind the car are detected. In the case of the flagship LS model, the LSS+ system not only detects the presence of a pedestrian in front of the vehicle, but also on the roadside, determining the direction of their movement. If there is a risk of being hit, it applies the brakes and, using the electric power steering, performs an evasive manoeuvre.

If the driver remains inactive for too long while driving with ACC and Lane Keeping active, the system issues audible and visual warnings (horn and hazard flashers), gradually slows down, and finally brings the car to a complete stop, allowing assistance should the driver faint. Similar in terms of capabilities, equipment is used on board its cars by the Swedish brand Volvo, which has been a model of safety for years. The most advanced systems in the entire model range are found in the latest S60 model. City Safety with steering assistance monitors the surroundings and brakes if necessary or helps to avoid maneuvers if the vehicle is traveling at a speed of 50 to 100 km/h.

It also helps you get back into the right lane as quickly as possible. It detects other vehicles as well as pedestrians, cyclists and large animals. In the event of an imminent collision or turning at an intersection under a vehicle coming from the opposite direction, it automatically brakes. It also eliminates the risk of running off the road by automatically correcting the trajectory or braking if necessary. The possibility of semi-autonomous driving in Volvo cars is provided by the Pilot Assist system. Using the radar and camera module, it automatically maintains the set speed and distance from the vehicles ahead and monitors the position of the car between the lane lines, keeping it between them. In addition, the Oncoming Lane Mitigation anti-collision system prevents collisions with oncoming traffic by automatically turning the steering wheel. If the driver crosses the lane line, blocking the way of an oncoming vehicle, the system automatically corrects the path.

When will we switch to fully autonomous cars?

Since 2016, Volvo, in cooperation with Uber, has been conducting the Drive Me research program, the aim of which is to introduce a fully autonomous car into series production as early as 2021, based on the XC90. The test cars, built at the Torslanda factory, were handed over to families who used it on Gothenburg's public roads.

Swedish engineers collected their feedback to provide technology that would meet the needs of drivers. They are convinced that these technologies will help reduce the number of traffic accidents in the future. It is also possible to streamline traffic, thus reducing traffic jams and pollution. In addition, drivers can use the time needed for commuting to work productively. Just a month ago, we learned about the effects of cooperation between Volvo and Uber engineers, who developed a production version of an independent autonomous driving system for the current XC90 model. In the future, cars equipped with it will be able to be ordered using the Uber application, and ultimately they are to carry passengers completely independently, without a driver.

It is not until the beginning of the next decade that Volvo plans to introduce self-developed cars with self-driving functionality, which is expected to be available in the next generation of new models from the Swedish brand, based on the SPA2 floor platform. Cars equipped with it will be able to drive without the driver's supervision in strictly defined places, such as highways and bypasses of cities.

Meanwhile, the first self-driving Lexus car, the flagship LS limousine, may hit the streets next year. Initially, using the Highway Teammate system, the car will offer autonomous driving mode only in highway traffic. The Toyota Research Institute's TRI-P4 experimental vehicle, based on the latest Lexus LS 500h, has also been extensively tested.

The test design has lidars and additional cameras to monitor the surroundings on the sides and two new image sensors, facing forward and rearward, as well as an improved radar system. The software for the new car is being prepared by the Toyota Research Institute Advanced Development (TRI-AD), established over a year ago. The car is to debut at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, the main sponsor of which is Toyota.

The future of autonomous technologies

Of course it doesn't stop there. Global car concerns are working on further improving autonomous driving technology. In a few years, for example, cars piloted by a computer as part of the Toyota Guardian system may appear on the roads. Toyota is working on two different automated driving models in parallel. The first is Guardian, which uses technology to continuously monitor the driver's driving tasks, intervening only when necessary. The other is Chauffeur, where technology takes all responsibility for driving the vehicle.

An automated Lexus LS with a driver overseeing the safety of the tests has already started driving in the center of Brussels. The aim of the project is to study the impact of human behavior on automated guidance systems. After successful trials in Japan and the United States, the system will be tested in European conditions.

In this way, the Japanese concern begins a program of testing automated driving on public roads in Europe. The test vehicle, the Lexus LS, will run on a fixed route in the Belgian capital for 13 months, using techniques that allow computers to 'see' and 'understand' their surroundings. The main assumption is to reduce the number of road accident victims to zero. The launch of the vehicle on public roads was preceded by months of preparation, validation of the automatic driving system, driver training, route analysis and involvement of the authorities in obtaining the necessary permits.

The automated vehicle will also collect data for the L3Pilot project, which involves 34 companies and institutions. It is a four-year, large-scale European project of testing automatic driving systems, involving 100 cars tested in 10 European countries.