According to the report, almost all car manufacturers are committed to the use of semi-automatic and fully automatic technology to achieve the production of self-driving cars, and Lidar technology has solidified its position in automotive automation.
However, according to a recent report by the American Automobile Association (AAA), nearly three-quarters of Americans, especially the millennial generation, are conservative about autonomous vehicles.
Many people may not realize that a car with an automatic driving function has appeared on the street. The road to full autonomous driving is gradual, and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) divides it into L0, L1, L2, L3, L4, and L5, for a total of six levels. L0-class automatic driving is automatic driving, the car is completely controlled by humans, and the human driver is responsible for all the aspects of SAE’s “dynamic driving task”. L5-class autonomous driving is completely autonomous: as long as it is a place where humans can drive, this type of car can drive. As long as there are roads that can be used, the car can go anywhere and without human intervention at all times.
Among the self-driving cars, only the L1 and L2 models have been put into the consumer car market. The L1 level sensing function is mainly provided by the camera and the laser pointer such as auxiliary braking or driving speed control (not simultaneously). L2 commercial-grade self-driving cars are available, and only a very small number of brands are available, including some luxury cars such as Tesla’s Autopilot, Cadillac’s Super Cruise and Volvo’s Pilot Assist. These cars can control speed and steering at the same time and recognize the center of the lane. However, this level of self-driving cars still requires the driver to intervene by hand when necessary.
The L3 to L5 level is another step in the development of autonomous driving, and the difference between the L3, L4 and L5 levels is obvious. The L3 level (conditional autopilot) only allows “manual” driving in certain situations. The L4 level is almost completely automatic, and according to the SAE, the car can ensure safe driving even when the driver makes an unsafe request or order. Nvidia believes that such a car is likely to be available in 2021. Some commentators believe that the L5 class – the real driverless car, only needs passengers to enter the destination – has a long way to go due to the high cost of testing and technology development.
Cars with autonomous driving will be part of our future life. Autopilot requires a lot of calculations and a high performance laser pointer.