Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) constitute the next generation of Electric Vehicles (EVs).
Europe and the USA have increased their interest in autonomous vehicles. Basically an extension to EVs, this attracted attention primarily to cut down on accidents. Collateral benefits relate to ease-of-parking, growth of shared mobility and eventually less traffic, reduced cost of transportation and less pollution.
SENSORS, SENSORS AND MORE SENSORS…
First, there are a vast number of sensors. Modern day cars use up to 100 sensors, whereas sensors in an AV can go up way beyond that. You need sensors to ‘see’ the surroundings to know where they can and cannot drive, detect other cars and pedestrians, besides unexpected situations.
Then come cameras. Many of today’s cars are equipped with rear cameras to assist parking. Cars with Lane Departure Warning systems are already equipped with front-facing cameras to detect lane markings. Also, AVs get fitted with multiple cameras to build a 360-degree view of the vehicle’s surroundings.
Next, come Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) systems. Employing laser beams, they help create a three-dimensional view of the environment. LIDAR works like a Radar, but with light instead of radio waves.
And finally come Control Systems. Advanced versions interpret information from the sensors to identify signboards, obstructions, cyclists, pedestrians, lane markings, etc. to identify correct navigation paths. These systems have inbuilt Artificial Intelligence tools to enable them to ‘learn’ from experiences.
MAPS AND GPS HELP…
Maps and GPS help the vehicle to verify what it ‘sees’ with what it should be. Before a car is put on a route, a detailed map of the course is taken with LIDAR and sensors, and this is loaded on to the AV. This serves as a reference document enabling the vehicle to identify its location correctly. Interesting in this context is to note that similar technology is used in modern warfare. Current warheads carry accurate digital photographs of their targets, which are matched with the images from the attached cameras to ensure accuracy in a bombing.
A pedestrian darting across…
Autonomous driving as a technological activity seems to have been achieved to a great extent. But the issues met with in operation need to be resolved and they prove to be complicated. Once on the road, external factors come into play such as someone taking a wrong turn or a pedestrian darting across. The control system should enable the vehicle to make the correct decision in each of such extreme situations. AV manufacturers are still tweaking the system to take care of all such varied cases.
SEEKING SOLUTIONS FOR…
Right now, they are grappling with solutions for:
• Weather rain: Fog, heavy snow and sandstorm block the lane lines from the cameras. Light beams from LIDAR get bounced by heavy snow and would indicate it as an obstruction. Radar can see through the weather but will reflect only metal objects.
• Lanes and Kerbs: There are no global standards for lane markings or for kerb heights
• Taking a turn: Taking a turn against oncoming traffic is a problem for most of us. And so is the story for AV as well. Foolproof measures are still to be developed.
• Other human drivers not following the rules: Like double parking. The AV has to decide whether to take it as an obstruction and halt or overtake the truck from the next lane.
These are not insurmountable problems. Research teams from various AV manufacturers are actively working on them. But how soon can we see them fully resolved? It is a difficult question to answer. In the meanwhile, these AVs are finding acceptance in locations where the problems listed are minimal like in warehouses and airports for ferrying passengers.
It has often been asked why the western manufacturers have focused more on AVs, letting China take the lead in EVs. No doubt EV technology has matured and very little is left for tweaking. Not so with AVs. I suspect that it is the spirit of the challenge posed by AVs that drives the Western teams to focus heavily on it, somewhat on the lines of landing a spaceship on the moon.
