Vehicles that are capable of driving themselves with limited to no human interaction would have once only been possible in your dreams and action-packed movies. But with the advancements in technology, what was once only a dream is now a reality. Autonomous vehicles are making an impact on the world. But just how do they work? In this blog, Express Lube will look at how autonomous vehicles work.
What Defines A Self-Driving Vehicle?
A self-driving vehicle, also known as an autonomous vehicle, is a vehicle that requires either some level of interaction or no level of interaction by a human to drive. To date, there are no vehicles that are 100% autonomous. But with the advancements in technology and safety, it is only a short time before this, too, is a reality and not a dream.
Classification Levels of Autonomous Vehicles.
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) is the leading not-for-profit membership organisation for mobility-focused engineers. SEA has defined category levels for various levels of autonomous vehicles and their capabilities.
Level Zero – No Driving Automation
Level One – Driver Assistance
Level Two – Partial Driving Automation
Level Three – Conditional Driving Automation
Level Four – High Driving Automation
Level Five – Full Driving Automation
See below the category graph by SEA that outlines what each level encompasses. SAE is the source of the image below.
What Technology Makes This Possible?
As you may expect, autonomous vehicles are packed with the latest technology. You can expect to find equipment such as radar, lidar, sensors, and plenty of cameras in and on autonomous vehicles. All this advanced equipment works harmoniously together to ensure accuracy, early detection, mapping, and safety.
How Does Lidar Work?
A lidar emits pulse waves into the surrounding environment. It will then receive the pulse waves back to its sensor to determine how long it took to receive a response. The onboard computer will then determine the distance the pulse travelled. In a fraction of a second, the data will create a 3D map of its surroundings. This process is conducted millions of times per second to give a real-time image of the surroundings. A safety advantage of lidar is that it utilises a 360-degree sensor, which eliminates blind spots that the cameras may have.
How Does Radar Work?
In order to understand how radar works, you need to know what radar stands for. RADAR stands for Radio Detection and Ranging. Radar works by emitting radio waves that bounce back off surfaces. Once the radio waves return to the sensor on the vehicle, the computer will then create a map of the surrounding area. Radar can not provide a map as accurate in detail as lidar. However, both systems work together to create an in-depth, highly detailed, and accurate map.
How Do The Cameras Work?
This is rather straightforward. The onboard cameras on an autonomous vehicle are used to detect any obstacles, read road signs, identify road markings, and record when the vehicle is in operation. With the cameras, the driver and passengers are able to get a live view of the surroundings, aiding in driving and safety. Cameras can provide ultra-sharp clarity video and images that aid in maintaining safety for all.
How Do All Three Work Together?
All three of these devices work together to create a safer driving experience for both the occupants of the vehicle and pedestrians on the outside. Through real-time mapping, processing of constant live information, and live video feeds, the autonomous vehicle is able to operate in a way that plans the safest path, avoids pedestrians and obstacles and puts safety measures in place.
Pros V Cons
There are many pros and cons to autonomous vehicles. They can provide a much more relaxing and enjoyable driving experience for drivers, especially those who still wish to drive but may find it difficult due to medical issues or age. A con of autonomous vehicles is that currently, you, as the driver, will still need to have some level of input into how the vehicle is operating.
As you can see from the SEA category levels, autonomous vehicles from zero to four will always require some sort of human interaction. This is for safety reasons. One other thing to consider is with all this technology in the vehicle, what will it cost you in repairs if a system fails, and just how long will the vehicle be off the road for. It is somewhat still early days into this new venture of autonomous vehicles. Let’s see what the future will bring for autonomous vehicles.
Conclusion
In conclusion, autonomous vehicles have huge advantages and potential. With advanced technologies such as lidar, radar, and advanced camera systems, driving on the roads is becoming safer for all. However, we are still somewhat early in this venture, and we must consider the need for human interaction in certain situations. Repairs on vehicles can be costly, especially with advanced computer systems within them that are required to be operational to drive. As we move forward, it will be exciting to see how advances in technologies will shape autonomous vehicles.