Driverless Cars: Levels of

Autonomy
There's a lot of hype about autonomous cars these days. An autonomous car is a
vehicle that can guide itself without human conduction. This kind of vehicle has
become a concrete reality and may pave the way for future systems where
computers take over the art of driving.

Artificial Intelligence in Automobiles

Is it really the right time to hand over control of our cars to computers? Consider this
quote from thinker, author and professor John Haugeland in his book "Artificial
Intelligence: The Very Idea": "AUTOMATION PRINCIPLE: Whenever the legal
moves of a formal system are fully determined by algorithms, then that system can
be automated."
The latest automobiles are already using computers to control various functions
throughout the vehicle. As I wrote in a previous Techopedia article "Your Car, Your
Computer: ECUs and the Controller Area Network," today's cars may include dozens
of computer modules that manage everything from air-fuel ratio to climate control.

Tech moves fast! Stay ahead of the curve with Techopedia!

Join nearly 200,000 subscribers who receive actionable tech insights from
Techopedia.
So how much autonomy are we prepared to give the vehicles that we drive (or don't
drive, as the case may be)? Is it enough to have algorithms in sufficient supply to
operate the vehicle without human intervention? These are philosophical questions
beyond our current topic. But it is more than a theoretical matter for the family of the
cyclist who was killed by an automated Uber vehicle in March of 2018.

Six Levels of Autonomy

It may come as a surprise to learn that vehicle automation is not an either/or
proposition. And not everyone wants complete automation. Putting your car on
automatic pilot in fair weather along a standard stretch of highway may be fine, but
any driver would want the option to regain control of the car should circumstances
demand it. In reality, the autonomy of vehicles is graded on a scale from zero to five,
with zero meaning no autonomy and five signifying complete autonomy.
The standards organization Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International has
defined these levels in a report on "Taxonomies and Definitions" regarding
automated driving systems. We will use the SAE descriptions for the levels in the
subtitles below. Other organizations with similar standards include the German
Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) and the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA). (To learn more about autonomous vehicles, check out The
5 Most Amazing AI Advances in Autonomous Driving.)

Level Zero: No Automation

Readers who are a bit more experienced know that automobiles didn't always come
with all those computerized controls. There was a time when cars had no computers
at all, and in the early days they didn't even have power steering or power brakes. At
level zero, all aspects of the driving task are in the hands of the driver. Think of the
car your father or grandfather may have driven – or even your car if it is an older
model.
"A vehicle that fits into this category," says an article from CNET, "relies on a human
to dictate every driving action." The driver has full control. Level zero doesn't just
apply to an old Ford Model T. CNET offers as an example: "your uncle Rick's 2005
Honda."

Level One: Driver Assistance

At this level, the automobile includes some built-in capabilities to operate the vehicle.
The vehicle may assist the driver with tasks like steering or
acceleration/deceleration. For several years now cars have been manufactured with
controls on the steering column that allow the driver to maintain a constant speed or
gradually increase or decrease speed. These functions are enacted by the driver and
not automatically performed by the automobile.
Most modern cars fit into this level. If your vehicle has adaptive cruise control or
lane-keeping technology, it's probably at level one.
You might be surprised to learn that cruise control was invented by a blind
mechanical engineer named Ralph Teetor. Chrysler was the first car company to
offer cruise control in 1958 (they called it Speedostat). Later the technology became
standard in all Cadillacs.

Level Two: Partial Automation

In 2017, the NHTSA adopted SAE’s six levels in their Automated Vehicles Policy.
(They previously defined only five levels.) At this level of automation, two or more
automated functions work together to relieve the driver of control. An example is a
system with both adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking. The
driver must remain fully engaged with the driving task, but you will notice the gradual
transfer of control from man to machine. NHTSA refers to this as an advanced driver
assistance system (ADAS).
Examples of level two include Tesla Autopilot and General Motors Super Cruise.
A GM Super Cruise ad says "Bring us your doubts and we'll bring you the future,"
and calls the technology "the first true hands-free driving system for the freeway."
Another is the Mercedes-Benz Distronic Plus, as demonstrated by an owner who
seems to have some reservations about its capabilities.

Level Three: Conditional Automation

This level is marked by both the execution of steering and acceleration/deceleration
and the monitoring of the driving environment. In levels zero through two, the driver
does all the monitoring. At level three, the driver is still required, but the automobile
can perform all aspects of the driving task under some circumstances. Levels three
and higher qualify as automated driving systems (ADS), according to NHTSA.
Another commonly used term is highly automated vehicle (HAV).
There's a big jump in capability between levels two and three. The driver still has to
keep his eyes on the road, ready to take over at a moment's notice. But a level three
vehicle can handle certain parts of the trip on its own – mainly highway driving. An
example of this level is the Audi AI traffic jam pilot,
whose technology is demonstrated in this video.

Level Four: High Automation

Level four vehicles don't need a human driver. The vehicle can essentially do all the
driving, but the driver can intervene and take control as needed. This level of
automation means that the car can perform all driving functions "under certain
conditions." The test vehicles currently on the road would fall under this category.
Waymo LLC (once known as the Google self-driving car project) is testing level four
vehicles. An article from DesignNews, "Autonomous Cars Will Move to Level 4 in
2018," says that new sensor technology from Velodyne Lidar amounts to "a huge
step forward" for autonomous cars. But they say that level five is still a decade away.

Level Five: Full Automation

A completely automated vehicle can perform all driving functions under all
conditions. In this situation, humans are just passengers. But as CNET authors Kyle
Hyatt and Chris Paukert tell us, "It's hard to imagine a world where Level 5
autonomous vehicles become the norm, available to all. If that happens, how would
that change the way that we live?"
One writer for The Atlantic speculates that fully automated cars could result in free
transportation for everybody – with a catch. Judith Donath pictures a world where a
free driverless car will chauffeur you and your family across town, so long as you
stop 15 minutes or so at a sponsor's store. She thinks that "targeted stops" at places
like McDonald's, Starbucks or a bookstore would be enough to entice the advertisers
to pay for the ride.
Of course, we already have automated transportation in some places. Have you ever
been to an airport that shuttles passengers from one terminal to another without a
driver? Such automation is being considered for other mass transit systems to take
the place of buses and taxis in town.

Controlling the Future

Full automation is already a reality in some industries. Manufacturing plants employ
robotic arms and automated processes to complete everyday tasks on assembly
lines. Driverless tractors plow, plant and harvest the fields on today’s high-tech
farms. And the piloting of commercial airlines is nearly all done automatically these
days. Ceding control of our private vehicles is another matter. How quickly and how
completely that will happen remains to be seen. Some people just love to drive –
sophisticated algorithms notwithstanding. Why should we be asked to stop now?
David Scott Brown | October 12, 2018
Source: Juliatimchenko/Dreamstime.com
Definition - What does Autonomous Car mean?
An autonomous car is a vehicle that can guide itself without human conduction. This
kind of vehicle has become a concrete reality and may pave the way for future
systems where computers take over the art of driving.
Mobil otonom adalah kendaraan yang dapat membimbing dirinya sendiri tanpa konduksi manusia.
Kendaraan jenis ini telah menjadi kenyataan nyata dan dapat membuka jalan bagi sistem di masa
depan di mana komputer mengambil alih seni mengemudi.

An autonomous car is also known as a driverless car, robot car, self-driving car or
autonomous vehicle.
Driverless cars, including Google's autonomous car design, have logged thousands
of hours on American roads, but they are not yet commercially available on a large
scale.
Autonomous cars use various kinds of technologies. They can be built with GPS
sensing knowledge to help with navigation. They may use sensors and other
equipment to avoid collisions. They also have the ability to use a range of technology
known as augmented reality, where a vehicle displays information to drivers in new
and innovative ways.
Some suggest that significant autonomous car production could cause problems with
existing auto insurance and traffic controls used for human-controlled cars.
Significant research on autonomous vehicles is underway, not only in the U.S., but
also in Europe and other parts of the world. According to some in the industry, it is
only a matter of time before these kinds of advances allow us to outsource our daily
commute to a computer.
At the same time, mass transit theories like Elon Musk's "hyperloop" design
contemplate a future world where more guided transport takes place in public transit
systems, rather than with individual car-like vehicles.

Definisi - Apa yang dimaksud dengan Mobil Otonom?

Mobil otonom adalah kendaraan yang dapat membimbing dirinya sendiri tanpa konduksi manusia.
Kendaraan jenis ini telah menjadi kenyataan nyata dan dapat membuka jalan bagi sistem di masa
depan di mana komputer mengambil alih seni mengemudi.

Mobil otonom juga dikenal sebagai mobil tanpa pengemudi, mobil robot, mobil self-driving atau
kendaraan otonom.

Mobil tanpa pengemudi, termasuk desain mobil otonom Google, telah mencatat ribuan jam di jalan-
jalan Amerika, tetapi belum tersedia secara komersial dalam skala besar.

Mobil otonom menggunakan berbagai jenis teknologi. Mereka dapat dibangun dengan pengetahuan
penginderaan GPS untuk membantu navigasi. Mereka mungkin menggunakan sensor dan peralatan
lain untuk menghindari tabrakan. Mereka juga memiliki kemampuan untuk menggunakan berbagai
teknologi yang dikenal sebagai augmented reality, di mana kendaraan menampilkan informasi
kepada pengemudi dengan cara baru dan inovatif.

Beberapa berpendapat bahwa produksi mobil otonom yang signifikan dapat menyebabkan masalah
dengan asuransi mobil dan kontrol lalu lintas yang digunakan untuk mobil yang dikendalikan
manusia. Penelitian signifikan pada kendaraan otonom sedang berlangsung, tidak hanya di AS, tetapi
juga di Eropa dan bagian lain dunia. Menurut beberapa orang di industri ini, hanya masalah waktu
sebelum kemajuan semacam ini memungkinkan kita untuk mengalihdayakan perjalanan harian kita
ke komputer.

Pada saat yang sama, teori angkutan massal seperti desain "hyperloop" Elon Musk merenungkan
dunia masa depan di mana transportasi yang lebih dipandu terjadi dalam sistem angkutan umum,
daripada dengan kendaraan seperti mobil individu.