What’s the difference between autonomous vehicles and driver-assistance tech?
It’s important to distinguish between the two
What is driver-assist?
Driver-assist is also called Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS). It refers to, and encompasses functions and technology that augment the driving experience of the driver. These include:
For example, Volvo’s driver-assist functionality is called VolvoPilot Assistand provides steering assistance to help the driver stay within lane markings on a road.
It provides audible, visible, and brake pulse warnings upon detecting cars, bikes, or pedestrians unexpectedly. If a collision is imminent, the car can brake automatically.It also helps maintain a set speed and the distance between your car and the vehicle ahead.
What is an autonomous vehicle?
Anautonomous vehiclecomes with technology to enable it to drive without any assistance from a human driver. It’s able to make decisions of its own volition and respond in real-time in response to the challenges of the road, such as oncoming traffic, turns, and traffic lights.
Tesla has a subscription feature called “Full Self-Driving” (or FSD). Despite a name that suggests otherwise, Tesla’s FSD is not self-driving but a driver-assist system. As you can see in the video below, Tesla still requires a lot of testing:
The company admitted last year inemails to the California DMV, that its subscription service is not self or autonomous driving.
To recap:
The five levels of vehicle automation
There are five levels to categories of vehicle automation,originallydefined in2018, whichhave further evolvedas the technology has advanced over the last few years.
Driver Assist programs typically fall under Level 2 meaning they require an alert driver able to take the wheel at all times.
Level 3 and 4 vehicle automation places limits on specific environments and conditions of vehicle automation.
For example, in December 2021, the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) grantedMercedes-Benzsystem approval of aLevel 3 autonomation pilotto enable drivers to engage in activities like watching films while driving — applications that are otherwise blocked while driving under certain conditions. (It’s not publicly released yet).
L4 autonomous driving does not require human intervention, but the driver still has the option to manually override and take over control of the car.
By comparison, Level 5 is a car that is able to make decisions completely independently – the car is the driver. A driverless car can include no driver’s seat, steering wheel, gas pedal, or even brakes.
A small number of autonomous vehicles are commercially available — albeit in beta testing programs — for ride-hailing and delivering goods:
Waymo One
Google’sWaymo Onebecame the first service provider to offer driverless taxi rides to the general public in a part of Phoenix, Arizona in 2020, with an expansion of the program toSan Francisco.
People can hail the cars via smartphone, withtravel restricted to certain areas within the city where the vehicles have been extensively tested.
Nuro
Nurois the first-ever autonomous vehicle to receivean approved exemptionfrom the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.These exemptions remove the requirement for safety measures such as interior mirror, windshield, and backup camera requirements that are only designed to provide safety benefits for occupants — these are not necessary as the vehicle holds no occupants.
Nuro was the first company granted a commercial deployment permit by the State of California.
The company currently operates its delivery vehicles in Silicon Valley, Houston, and Greater Phoenix.
TuSimple
In late December, truck company TuSimplebecame the first businessto achieve a successful fully-autonomousrun by aclass 8 vehicle, or semi, on open public roads with no human intervention. One of its semi-trailer trucks completed an 80-mile route in Arizona.
Vehicle technology is evolving rapidly, making it vital to have legal frameworks and industry standards. But in a competitive market, where automakers have promised vehicle automation for a long time, there are still a lot of challenges. Stay tuned as we dig into these in more detail.
Story byCate Lawrence
Cate Lawrence is an Australian tech journo living in Berlin. She focuses on all things mobility: ebikes, autonomous vehicles, VTOL, smart ci(show all)Cate Lawrence is an Australian tech journo living in Berlin. She focuses on all things mobility: ebikes, autonomous vehicles, VTOL, smart cities, and the future of alternative energy sources like electric batteries, solar, and hydrogen.
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