8/19/2019 Rapid Automotive Innovation

1/3

synapfire.com

The automotive sector is currently seeing one of its

greatest innovative changes since its inception as the

major manufacturers capitalise on the technological

advancement in driver aids and autonomous systems.

How is this innovation being harnessed to have a

positive impact on the safety of our road users?

 A Tale of Two Theories: Driver assistance vs Autonomy

Initially there were two schools of thought on how the

experience of driving would change given the rapidintegration of technology. Much of the automotive

industry looked to driver aids, or tools that augment

the driving experience to help make driving safer.

During the 1990’s Formula 1 proved an incredible

development environment for new technology and

brought us advancements including ABS and Traction

Control. Whilst this development progressed, some

industry experts felt the future of transportation was

autonomous cars, thereby removing the weakest link

 – the human.

Over the past few years we have seen a convergence

of these schools of thought, as manufacturers begin

to integrate systems, thereby moving from disparate

independent driver aids, to integrated computer

systems and closer to autonomous transportation.

In order to accelerate the development of these

systems, fundamental changes have been made to

how cars operate, and whilst not always popular

amongst driving purists, this has enabled computer

focussed automotive innovation to accelerate.

Firstly, the automatic gearbox has become the

primary transmission choice. If a computer is going to

control several aspects of the car, including speed, it

must be able to change gear as the engine revolutions

demand. This is not possible with a manual gearbox,

hence many of the major automotive companies have

shifted to an ‘automatic first’ philosophy, with some

declaring particular models will no longer be supplied

with a manual gearbox.

Fly-by-wire throttle has replaced regular mechanical

and fluid based systems, and electric power assisted

steering has replaced hydraulic power steering.

With these changes, manufacturers have been able to

use computers to control throttle, braking, steering,

and gears, and made incredible leaps forward in

automotive innovation and driving aids.

Computer Driving Aids (Augmented Systems)

The most common driver aids developed by major

manufacturers so far have included:

Automatic Emergency Braking - appearing on more

vehicles all the time, and designed to stop the all too

common rear-ending when traffic snarls up. The

Computer monitors traffic speed ahead and applies

the brakes as needed.

Adaptive Cruise Control - introduced within the past

few years, building upon established cruise control

functionality, but using radar to monitor and maintain

the gap between your car and the one in front.

Active Lane Assistance - alerts the driver if they stray

outside of the lane they are travelling in, and in more

advanced cases will steer the car back into the centre

of the lane.

These systems are all driving aids designed to enhance

or protect the driver. So how does this differ to

autonomous cars and the systems they use?

Rapid Automotive Innovation The Journey Towards Self Driving Cars 

http://www.synapfire.com/http://www.synapfire.com/

8/19/2019 Rapid Automotive Innovation

2/3

synapfire.com

 Autonomous Cars – Systems Integration

Autonomous cars are all about integrating disparate

driver aids to allow the computers in the vehicle to

make decisions without human intervention.

Whilst we often read about Tesla with their Autopilot

System, Audi’s Piloted Driving, BMW Connected Drive,

and Volvo’s Drive Me, in actual fact nearly all major

marques are working on these systems right now.

With manufacturers around the globe working at pace

to develop these systems, there needs to be a set ofparameters that promotes continuity and a coherent

motoring world. Coincidently over 100 years ago the

same scenario was faced during the inception of the

automotive industry as car companies sprang up

across the world – and so in 1905 The Society of

Automotive Engineers was formed. The SAE began

work defining standards to be adhered to by the

automotive industry, and still operate in this capacity.

SAE International Standard J3016

The SAE have defined a standard outlining different

levels of autonomy and the split of responsibility.

Level 0 is not really an autonomous level, but more a

baseline indicating no driver aided systems beyond

familiar ABS and mechanical systems.

Level 1 defines ‘Driver Assistance’ being where the

systems of the vehicle are responsible for certain

actions during operation. Automatic Emergency

Braking is a good example here. The systems monitor

particular parameters, and makes conscious decisionsbased on data gathered to protect the occupants and

road users. In the case of AEB, it controls the brakes.

Level 2 sees ‘Partial Automation’, where two systems

combine to further enhance the driver’s assistance, or

protect in dangerous situations. This could be

Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Centring.

Level 3 is classified by SAE as ‘Conditional

Automation’, and is where the computers are mostly

responsible for the vehicle under particular

parameters, with the human only intervening where

the systems run into difficulty. For example, on a

motorway where the driving conditions are a

constant, the Level 3 systems can take control of

throttle, braking, and steering to drive the car. If the

system can no longer perform any of these tasks,

control is relinquished to the human.

Level 3 is where things start to get interesting, and the

level most manufactures are currently testing.

Systems from Audi, Tesla, BMW and Volvo, are all

competent Level 3 systems, and in actuality the are

now working on taking these to Level 4.

Level 4 or ‘High Automation’ is where the systems

have full responsibility. The driver enters the

destination into the navigation system, and the car

performs all of the driving. The human is not expected

to perform any driving during the trip.

Level 5 or ‘Full Automation’ is seen by some as a

contentious level. Here the computer can consciously

make the decision to override a human’s attempt to

take control of a situation if it determines the action

will be dangerous for the vehicle occupants or other

road users.

 Achieving Autonomy

When we talk about levels of autonomy, the mind

tries to comprehend what this actually means, and

how the systems integrate to achieve ‘self-driving’. 

In order to build an autonomous car capable of Level

3 and above we need to combine a wide range of

sensors that allow detection and response to changing

traffic conditions. All manufacturers follow the same

basic principles by combining different sensor types to

perform the detailed analysis required.

Volvo have combined several of these systems in their

Drive Me solution, and will perform real-world testing

in Gothenburg in 2017.

http://www.synapfire.com/http://www.synapfire.com/

8/19/2019 Rapid Automotive Innovation

3/3

synapfire.com

An overview of the sensors employed can be seen in

their video here (Timestamp 0:24). 

Hurdles to Autonomy

Inevitably there are obstacles to overcome in order to

achieve level 3 or level 4 vehicle autonomy.

For starters the general condition of many of the road

networks across the globe is poor. Pot holes, missingroad markings, faded lines, there are many issues with

our roads that may cause computers momentary

lapses in capability, and hence decision making.

Insurance and liability – Who is accountable for an

accident in a world filled with self-driving cars, or

more complicatedly, in a world where both

autonomous and manual cars exist? This has been

widely discussed, although from a liability perspective

Volvo have now stepped forward and released a

statement declaring:

“Volvo will accept full liability whenever one of its cars

are in autonomous mode”. 

This appears an incredible commitment, but makes a

lot of sense. From an accountability perspective we

will know whether the computer or the human was in

control of the vehicle at the time of the incident. With

all cars contributing to a knowledgebase of situational

awareness, the expertise of the computer drivers will

develop and improve over time.

Legislation – This is where the SAE provide a good

foundation and continual development of standards

and processes. A car travelling between countries will

need to be capable of handling changes in law, local

signage, language comprehension, road markings, and

culturally accepted driving behaviour. The vehicles will

need to be able to understand particular nuances of

operating within each country they visit.

The biggest obstacle unfortunately is human nature – It will take a long time for us to accept and relinquish

control of the vehicle. There have been several video

reports on the autonomous cars, and in many cases

the reporters admitted to an inability to take their

eyes off the road for long periods of time, or to move

their hands away from the steering wheel.

It is precisely this hurdle that has caused some

industry experts to propose Level 3 is skipped to get

to Level 4 and 5. The fear is that Level 3 cars will allow

humans to intervene and make decisions the car could

have made better. What we may see is a hybrid of

Level 3 and 4 where the cars operate at high levels of

autonomy, but not initially on all roads or conditions.

 Autonomous Car Testing in the Real World

From a market perspective, Boston Consulting Group

have assessed the market for driverless cars and all it

entails, and believe it could be worth around $42

billion by 2025. Leading up to this date, there will be

many tests performed, and details to be worked out.

In October 2015 Daimler tested self-driving trucks in

Germany with great success.

Volvo  just completed a 125-mile multi-vehicle convoy

where the lead car was driven, with the chase vehicles

following autonomously connected over wireless link.

The UK have announced a ten truck convoy will be

tested on the M6 during 2016. The lead truck will bedriven, with the remaining nine in self-drive mode.

In 2017 Volvo will hand over one hundred

autonomous cars to families in Gothenburg for a long

term test.

Integrated Systems in Operation

Perhaps you have AEB, adaptive cruise control, or lane

centring on your current car, but it is rare we witness

what happens when these systems are integrated?

Hyundai used a test road in the Mojave Desert and sixHyundai Genesis cars to demonstrate this premise.

You can watch the full video here. 

Imagine how many rear-end shunts this could

prevent, and the reduction in insurance claims. Now

think about the number of cyclists and pedestrians

avoided. This technology has the potential to

dramatically reduce the number of injuries and

fatalities on our roads, and at the exponential rate

manufacturers are making progress, we will hopefully

see these benefits in the very near future.

http://www.synapfire.com/https://youtu.be/Ja4RCUsPj_Ihttps://youtu.be/Ja4RCUsPj_Ihttps://youtu.be/Ja4RCUsPj_Ihttp://europe.autonews.com/article/20150108/COPY/301089946/driverless-car-global-market-seen-reaching-$42-billion-by-2025http://europe.autonews.com/article/20150108/COPY/301089946/driverless-car-global-market-seen-reaching-$42-billion-by-2025http://europe.autonews.com/article/20150108/COPY/301089946/driverless-car-global-market-seen-reaching-$42-billion-by-2025http://europe.autonews.com/article/20150108/COPY/301089946/driverless-car-global-market-seen-reaching-$42-billion-by-2025http://uk.pcmag.com/cars-products/71670/news/daimler-tests-autonomous-truck-on-germanys-autobahhttp://uk.pcmag.com/cars-products/71670/news/daimler-tests-autonomous-truck-on-germanys-autobahhttp://uk.pcmag.com/cars-products/71670/news/daimler-tests-autonomous-truck-on-germanys-autobahhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18248841http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18248841http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35737104http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35737104http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35737104http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/24/volvo-test-autonomous-cars-ordinary-drivers-public-roads-by-2017http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/24/volvo-test-autonomous-cars-ordinary-drivers-public-roads-by-2017http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/24/volvo-test-autonomous-cars-ordinary-drivers-public-roads-by-2017https://youtu.be/IEToKAELeqYhttps://youtu.be/IEToKAELeqYhttps://youtu.be/IEToKAELeqYhttps://youtu.be/IEToKAELeqYhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/24/volvo-test-autonomous-cars-ordinary-drivers-public-roads-by-2017http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35737104http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18248841http://uk.pcmag.com/cars-products/71670/news/daimler-tests-autonomous-truck-on-germanys-autobahhttp://europe.autonews.com/article/20150108/COPY/301089946/driverless-car-global-market-seen-reaching-$42-billion-by-2025http://europe.autonews.com/article/20150108/COPY/301089946/driverless-car-global-market-seen-reaching-$42-billion-by-2025https://youtu.be/Ja4RCUsPj_Ihttp://www.synapfire.com/