A lot of companies are working on self-driving cars but the day when we all
hurry around in pods without steering wheels is a long way off.
In the meantime, self-driving technology will slowly filter
across to cars in piecemeal form, with the Society of Automotive Engineers in
2014 presenting a roadmap of five key levels of capability that
we'll pass on the road to fully self-driving cars. It can be confusing, so BMW
released a video that explains the differences between the levels with the aid
of visuals.
In terms of production cars, we've already passed the first
two levels: Level 1 is basic cruise control with automated
acceleration and braking, while Level 2 introduces some automated
steering into the mix. Importantly, both these levels require full driver
attention at all times as their functionality is still very limited.
The next milestone will be Level 3, which BMW expects to
introduce on its iNext
electric car arriving in 2021. Level 3 means the driver in a
set range of situations can let go of the steering wheel and even look away for
extended periods, though they have to be ready to take over within seconds
which could prove dangerous. Because of this major onus on the driver, many
firms are choosing to skip Level 3 and go straight to Level 4.
Level 4 capability is essentially the same as Level 3,
with the key difference being the timespan required for the driver to take back
control being far longer, think minutes versus seconds. Another important
distinguisher of Level 4 capability is that the vehicle is able to bring itself
safely to a stop should the driver fail to take back control. For this reason,
BMW says a driver in a Level 4 self-driving car could safely fall asleep
behind the wheel. BMW is developing Level 4 self-driving technology
alongside Level 3 technology but doesn't expect regulations and necessary
infrastructure (think detailed maps and communications infrastructure) to be
ready until the middle of the next decade.
There are already some Level 4 cars on the road, though.
Waymo's self-driving cars are currently at Level 4 capability but limited to
where they can drive. Waymo plans to use the technology for the first
commercial self-driving
taxi service later this year in Phoenix, Arizona. An engineer will
still be onboard for monitoring, though.
The final goal is Level 5 capability, where a car
can operate without the need of a driver. BMW says this likely won't be ready
until the end of the next decade.
source: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1116942_bmw-explains-the-5-levels-of-self-driving-capability
by Viknesh Vijayenthiran
http://www.boscheuropean.com
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