Empower your business success with our Large Language model-driven solutions for IP, innovation management and research!
Navigating Towards an Autonomous Vehicle Future
- January 21, 2021
Driverless cars are doing the rounds in the news. As technology advances, there are chances that we might see a few on roads soon. Though driverless cars have achieved exemplary results in simulation tests & trials, it is still challenging to replicate the success in real-world scenarios where they must interact with unpredictable situations that arise from other vehicles, pedestrians, and various other variables in their surroundings. And navigating through these seamlessly and safely still remains a point of concern. Such scenarios are very much possible when encountering multiple lanes & intersections, it becomes even more difficult to navigate safely.
Hence to address such issues aggressive R&D is being witnessed at many places in the world.
One of the recent developments by Stanford University looks quite promising
LUCIDGames by Stanford University recently created an algorithm that can predict and plan adaptive trajectories for autonomous vehicles. This technique uses an algorithm based on game theory and an estimation method. LUCIDGames can quickly identify the objectives of both cars and pedestrians in their vicinity. This allows them to predict what these different elements will do in the future and even in complex situations.
Now when it comes to autonomous vehicles, there are certain levels that define the extent of automation with level 0 being the traditional cars that we are all used to until now. This taxonomy is given by SAE international and here is what it means:
Levels of autonomous vehicle technology
Level 1
Cruise or adaptive control is an example of level 1 where the car & the driver share control. The driver takes care of steering while the autonomous system manages the throttle and braking at a predetermined speed. Parking assist & lane keep assist are examples of level 1.
Level 2
The automated system can fully manage steering, acceleration & braking, though the driver would need to be on standby in case the system fails. There are sensors to monitor the attentivity of the driver by tracking eye movement.
Level 3
In level 3 automation the car can drive itself in most scenarios & the driver does not require to pay attention to driving. There are certain set conditions for camera view, weather, GPS, etc. which need to be adhered to for the car to work in fully automated mode. The driver would still need to intervene in case any of these conditions are not met.
Level 4
Level 4 automation comprises intelligent systems that may not even have a steering wheel, where the driver may not be required to be awake or able to retake control. This level would mostly apply to robotized taxi or delivery systems in specific areas where predetermined optimal conditions are met.
Level 5
With level 5 automation a car would require no human supervision. It would be capable of navigating through all surfaces, weather & situations. While level 4 is already being explored, level 5 automation is still too complex to implement.
So what is the status when it comes to complex levels that is level 3 and thereafter?
Well, it turns out there are in fact quite a few developments happening in this space.
The Baidu Apollo integrated AI system allows vehicles to operate without a driver inside the vehicle. It makes use of 5G-enabled teleoperation in its vehicles for making sure there are no untoward incidences.
Cruise, the self-driving car company associated with GM and Honda, is testing fully driverless cars without a human safety driver behind the steering wheel, in San Francisco. This is one of the few instances of driverless cars being tested in the complex environment of a bustling city.
Cruise has only recently showcased its Level 4 capabilities while Google (Waymo) announced it would be making its Level 4 taxi service accessible to customers. Cruise had originally planned for a 2019 launch date for its commercial driverless taxis, but it failed to deliver.
However, despite such advanced developments, safety remains the prime concern for consumer acceptability of driverless cars.
Vehicles are being fitted with complex tech to avoid accidents. Multiple LIDARs are distributed over the surface of vehicles along with several cameras & radars to have overlapping sensor fields. This serves not only to increase the visibility of obstacles in the vehicle path but also to avoid blind spots.
With so much happening in the domain of driverless cars, it’s but obvious that IP trends too might be witnessing a lot of activity. And it is expected that many startups too will leverage this space. Further, the domain is witnessing a lot of cross-industry activities and collaborations.
In 2020 Ford was the most active patent filer for vehicle navigation & control systems, followed by Toyota Motor Corp. & LG Electronics Inc. Intel plans to add radar and LIDAR, a laser-based system for a 3D view of the road to boost its self-driving tech by 2025.
Oxbotica – one of the pioneers of autonomous tech has now raised $47 million in Series B funding from BP, BGF, Halma, Tencent, Venture Science & others. Oxbotica is looking to seize opportunities in industrial companies for sectors like mining, port logistics in off-road applications. Autonomous vehicle software can be plugged into industrial vehicles for fleet management, navigation, and perception.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Automotive 5G Platform & 3rd gen Snapdragon Automotive Cockpit Platform will be incorporated in NIO’s flagship sedan. NIO which launched the EP9 – one of the fastest electric cars in the world is now leveraging Qualcomm’s expertise in computing & connectivity to improve its smart mobility tech.
Velodyne Lidar has signed a multi-year contract with Motional – the joint venture between Hyundai & Aptiv Autonomous Driving for Alpha Prime sensors to provide a long-range vision for Autonomous level 4 vehicles. Velodyne’s patented 360-degree perception tech enables autonomous driving in the rain, snow, sleet as well as complex urban environments.
Future of Autonomous Vehicles Navigation
Safety remains the topmost concern for automotive manufacturers and consumers. The focus is on solving less common road scenarios different from normal roadway conditions. The existing suite of sensors on AV is still insufficient for dealing with every possibility. Technologies like thermal imaging, longwave IR cameras are being explored by researchers apart from advanced LIDAR, ultrasonic, or radar sensors. Multiple FIR sensors will prove useful as we work towards fully autonomous cars in the future.
Author
TT Consultant
About TTC
We’ve constantly identified the value of new technology carried out by our pretty skilled executive crew with backgrounds as our professionals. Like the IP professionals we empower, our starvation for development is never-ending. We IMPROVISE, ADAPT, and IMPLEMENT in a strategic manner.
You also can Contact us to set up a consultation.
TT Consultants is a leading partner in intellectual property (IP) management. Our worldwide service range comprises both legal and portfolio services, as well as strategic IP consulting and cutting-edge software solutions for effective IP management.
The TT Consultants offers a range of efficient, high quality solutions for your intellectual property management ranging from Patentability Search, Invalidation Search, FTO (Freedom to Operate), Patent Portfolio Management, Patent Monetization, Evidence of Use, Claim Chart Mapping, and much more. We provide both law firms and corporations in many industries with turnkey solutions.
Share Article
Copied
Recent Posts
Categories
- 5G5 Posts
- AI & LLM20 Posts
- Archive Events5 Posts
- Automobile Industry22 Posts
- Canada2 Posts
- Case Studies11 Posts
- Chemical8 Posts
- China5 Posts
- Company Trends74 Posts
- Competitor Benchmarking14 Posts
- Consumer Products37 Posts
- Corporate54 Posts
- Country Trends58 Posts
- Design Search4 Posts
- Electric Vehicles3 Posts
- Europe - UK3 Posts
- Events1 Posts
- Freedom to Operate22 Posts
- Geographical2 Posts
- Ideacue1 Posts
- Infringement Search48 Posts
- Intellectual Property (IP)156 Posts
- Invalidation17 Posts
- Inventor1 Posts
- IP Trends155 Posts
- IP Trends Technology Domain20 Posts
- Japan2 Posts
- Landscape Analysis25 Posts
- Latest Technology60 Posts
- Life Sciences35 Posts
- Machine Learning7 Posts
- Mechanical Engineering3 Posts
- Medical Devices3 Posts
- Mergers and Acquisitions4 Posts
- Metaverse(AR/VR)9 Posts
- Patent Drafting & Illustrations67 Posts
- Patent Monitoring29 Posts
- Patent Portfolio Commercialization27 Posts
- Patent Portfolio Management51 Posts
- Patent Prosecution67 Posts
- Patentability Search58 Posts
- Pharmaceuticals5 Posts
- Press Release14 Posts
- Semiconductor and Electronics4 Posts
- Smartphone Technology3 Posts
- Standard Essential Patents (SEP)9 Posts
- State of the Art13 Posts
- Tech Scaper1 Posts
- Technology119 Posts
- Technology Scouting16 Posts
- Telecummunication3 Posts
- USA5 Posts
- Whitespace Analysis8 Posts