TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. Advanced driver-assistance systems are generally viewed as the building blocks of fully self-driving vehicles. However, industry executives increasingly consider Advanced Driver Assistance And autonomous Capabilities Different systems develop at different speeds to serve different markets.
“They use a lot of sensors, but the difference is that on a Level 2 vehicle, the most capable sensor in the vehicle is a human,” Nick Sitarsky, Toyota’s vice president of integrated vehicle systems, said during a panel Tuesday. Center for Management Briefing Seminars of Automotive Research Here.
Level 4 systems, by comparison, require far more technology because they allow the vehicle to self-drive under most conditions.
“You need to recreate what a human is doing… and that’s a very complex and expensive thing,” Sitarsky said.
Hence the first autonomous vehicles deployed on the roads will be of commercial fleet and will not be available to consumers, he said.
“You need to maximize the use of the vehicle so that you can amortize that cost and pay for it,” Sitarsky said.
technology companies, suppliers and automakers, including Toyota, Continue to invest significant resources in developing all levels of driver-assistance and autonomous technology.
SAE defines the International Level 2 system Those that provide steering and braking/acceleration support to the driver rather than the vehicle as a whole. Sitarsky said they are designed to increase security and convenience at prices that consumers can afford. The driver must still monitor the traffic and take control of the vehicle.
Indu Vijayan, director of automotive product management at lidar maker AEye, said the jump from Level 2 to Level 4 capabilities comes as a result of the system’s ability to replicate the perception of human drivers and the constant adjustments they make.
“If you are driving on the highway and suddenly you come across an emergency vehicle, our system should be able to understand that signal to go to the side of the road,” Vijayan said.
While some executives see a huge difference between Level 2 and Level 4, others believe that consumers will experience a steady progression from Level 2 to fully self-driving over time.
Ehsan Moradi Pari, principal scientist at Honda Research Institute USA Inc., said Honda sees Advanced Driver Assistance as a “bridge to automated driving”.
“If we look at it from a consumer point of view, it has to be a step-by-step adaptation with these technologies. Drivers and customers can adopt it,” he said.
Sitarsky said that as automakers introduce new technologies, the industry should clearly communicate the system’s capabilities to customers.
“In the mass market right now, there are no autonomous vehicles,” he said.
Some companies are running pilot programs, mostly in smaller geographic areas, with self-driving vehicles, but they are not available for purchase.
“There are a lot of vehicles with assist systems, and I think it’s important that we are transparent and honest about what these systems are and what they are capable of and are not capable of,” Sitarsky said.
Panelists focused their discussion on Level 2 and Level 4 vehicles as they no longer think Level 3 systems will make it to market. SAE Level 3 defines vehicles that can drive themselves but require a driver to take over in certain conditions. Panelists said it is difficult to hand control back to drivers in an emergency and expect them to make appropriate decisions.
“It’s very challenging to hand control back to the driver,” said Greg Brannan, director of automotive engineering and industry relations at AAA.
Even the transition from a phone call to a full engagement with traffic can be difficult, Brannon said. He said research by the AAA’s Foundation for Traffic Safety found that it could take up to 25 seconds to reconnect with the act of driving.