In Five Steps to a Self-Driving car

In principle, the automotive pioneers already drove in this manner. The driver steers, accelerates and applies the brakes himself. For purists this is still the epitome of automotive freedom. But because people make mistakes, this form of mobility is causing problems in society as the number of vehicles constantly increases. Solving these problems is one of the goals of autonomous driving.

Driver: Has complete control.

When: The past.

The “non-automated” car has already had its day. With level 0, there are no assistance systems at all; the driver is in complete control of the car.

The most important difference from driver assistance systems of level 1: The system has full access to gas, brakes and steering. The current top models of premium manufacturers also monitor large parts of the vehicle environment using sensors. In this way these vehicles can automatically follow the lane or car ahead and recognize changing speed limits as well as adjust the vehicle’s speed accordingly in certain situations, such as on highways. On divided roads, they can also overtake other vehicles and take evasive maneuvers. In traffic jams, they automatically apply the brakes and can drive off again within a defined period of time. Despite these extensive features, the driver alone is responsible for monitoring the environment, according to the SAE definition. To ensure the constant attention of the driver, level 2 vehicles require the steering wheel to be touched on a regular basis. Up until a few months ago, only cars up to level 2 were permitted in Germany. On May 12, 2017, the Federal Council approved a law that allows highly automated driving of the next level. Germany is thus one of the first countries ever to create a legal framework for volume production use of such vehicles.

Driver: Has to monitor the system at all times.

When: Since 2016

The first semi-automated luxury-class vehicles hit the streets in 2016. These vehicles handle complete lateral and longitudinal control independently in predictable surroundings such as highways, even at high speeds. However, the driver must be able to monitor the system at all times and intervene immediately. That means that reading the newspaper remains taboo.

This dilemma is not resolved until level 4: The driver – frequently then more likely to be a passenger – is allowed to turn his attention completely to other things and, as long as the systems are working, no longer has to keep an eye on what is happening in traffic and no longer needs to be ready for sudden intervention. The car itself now forms the fail-safe system: Even in exceptional situations such as partial or complete system failures, it always has to provide his own exit strategy, including bringing the vehicle to a safe stop. As long as the system is in operation, responsibility is clearly with the vehicle manufacturer for the first time. Numerous companies are already on the road with test vehicles of level 4, and it is expected that such vehicles are scheduled to come onto the roads in production volumes in 2025. ZF will also contribute to this development step with sophisticated safety and assistance solutions.

However, in order to be able to implement fully automated driving in environments with many other traffic users, there are still several hurdles to be overcome in accordance with the present state of technology:

Cars must be able to communicate with their environment, with other vehicles and with other road users such as cyclists, pedestrians or trams. Only then can the cross-traffic pre-warning periods be reduced to the required degree in case of complicated intersection situations where detection by sensors is too slow. It is also very difficult for sensors to detect traffic light colors under certain circumstances, making it necessary for them to announce their phases. A uniform standard and the necessary communication infrastructure must be created for all of this.

Just coming into contact with the curb can bring an abrupt end to a relaxing drive. Automated cars therefore need to know where they are driving more precisely than the current GPS resolution and available maps allow. Providers such as Baidu Maps, Google, Here and TomTom are already working hard on high-resolution maps accurate to the centimeter which also contain all kinds of details about the infrastructure. The task is immense, because to allow automated cars to travel around the world, every public road has to be measured and the material must always be up-to-date. But even the most accurate map is useless if the vehicle does not know exactly where it is. Particularly in cities but also in tunnels and other problem areas, a reliable reference system that makes the GPS information even more precise will be essential.

Driver: No longer has to monitor the system.

When: Starting ca. 2025.

From the early 2020s onwards, fully-automated driving is now forecast to become a reality. No one will have to monitor the system anymore, since it can do that itself, ensuring “minimum risk conditions,” be it on the highway, on back roads or in town.