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Reading the newspaper instead of driving yourself: During rush hour, this will be a boon for many drivers. Autonomous driving should not only provide relief on board, but also make traffic smoother and safer; Self-driving cars drive more proactively and react faster than human drivers. At least that’s the theory.
The auto industry has been touting this new form of mobility for years. But the truth is that we are still a long way from autonomous driving becoming widespread. It seems that many manufacturers have underestimated the amount of money and time required to train the necessary AI. And until this happens, we will have to face a difficult transition phase with mixed traffic created by driverless, piloted and human-guided vehicles. In addition, innovative solutions must be found to basic problems such as ensuring security, sensor systems that work in all situations, and legal principles. So where are we in Europe in the field of autonomous driving and what can we expect in the near future? We offer an overview of the innovations and plans of European manufacturers.
Mercedes ESF
90 percent of traffic accidents are caused by human error. This situation is fundamentally eliminated with autonomous vehicles. However, accidents will continue to occur until traffic congestion is eliminated and all vehicles become autonomous. In addition to piloted driving in the S-Class, Mercedes offers possible solutions to the changing safety requirements of autonomous vehicles in its experimental safety vehicle, ESF. Based on the new Mercedes GLE with plug-in hybrid drive, the ESF drives fully automatically at level 4 of autonomous driving in many cases.
Drivers become passengers and can assume comfortable sitting and even lying positions. To ensure the safety of passengers at all times, the belts and side airbags in the ESF are integrated directly into the seats. The front airbag is no longer located on the steering wheel, but on the dashboard: in the event of a collision, the position of the steering wheel no longer plays a role and the airbag covers a larger area.
At ESF, Mercedes also considers communication in daily traffic. For example, if a pedestrian wants to cross a crosswalk, he or she will usually make eye contact with the driver before starting to walk. So how will this work if the driver is asleep and his car is automatically controlled? “Collaborative vehicle environment communication” – What sounds cumbersome has been cleverly thought out by Mercedes: ESF communicates with pedestrians and also with other vehicles via projection. Example: If the ESF stops at a pedestrian crossing, the front camera projects its image onto the rear window and the traffic behind knows why it stopped.
VW ID. Buzz A.D.
VW, together with its subsidiary Moia, is planning autonomous car sharing offerings with level 4 ID driving. Buzz. Robot taxis will first be available to the public in Hamburg and Munich (D) from 2025. Test drives are currently underway to collect enough environmental data before regular driving so that the vehicles can navigate themselves in the future. With this mobility solution, VW wants to relieve the pressure on urban traffic through shared journeys. City traffic also needs to become safer through automation.
Electrical ID. Buzz AD (Autonomous Driving) is very similar to its manually controlled sibling. The biggest difference is the sensor system on the body, which consists of 6 lidar, 11 radar and 14 camera systems, allowing 360-degree detection of the vehicle’s surroundings and thus creating an accurate traffic image. The laser scanner Lidar system on the roof of the driverless Bulli prototype can detect objects at a distance of up to 400 meters. After several trouble-free test drives in Freising near Munich (E) this summer, Europe’s first autonomous taxi fleet remains in the way.
Prototype BMW i5
For technical and legal reasons, Europe is still at level 3 at best when it comes to autonomous driving. The system is currently only permitted in Germany for certain Mercedes models in convoy traffic at speeds up to 60 km/h and only on motorways and autobahns. Models such as the Audi A8 or BMW iX were once announced with Level 3 technology, but the system, in which the automaker takes responsibility for any accidents, is not yet included in the vehicle. The same goes for the new BMW 5 Series, which will be launched in the autumn with an internal combustion engine and an electric i5 version. It can control at least 2+ levels with the tool called highway assistant.
Cameras, ultrasound and radar sensors provide the necessary information about the environment and the behavior of the person behind the wheel. Real-time navigation map with exact routes, GPS positioning and 5G connection to the data cloud ensure precise positioning. Lane changing with an overtaking maneuver can be initiated without a button or voice command: All you have to do is look left in the mirror and then look over your shoulder as the start signal – the i5 automatically turns on the direction indicator, pulling the vehicle away. past and blends back into the strip. This system works up to a maximum speed of 180 km/h and the vehicle stops automatically if the driver looks away from the road for a long time.
What about other countries?
European automakers are at the forefront of the innovation race for autonomous driving. However, automakers in other countries have already made some progress: The Honda Legend Hybrid EX has been on the roads in Japan with Level 3 technology since 2021. Although American automaker Tesla talks about an autopilot for its assistance system. They have no interest in autonomous driving yet; However, with an update, it was able to make its models suitable for level 3 driving. Mercedes also got the green light for its automatic Driving Pilot in the US.
American Google subsidiary Waymo and General Motor subsidiary Cruise are also about to launch an autonomous taxi service in San Francisco (USA). The city became the first metropolis in the world to give the necessary approval to transportation services in August this year. As soon as the technical and legal basis for autonomous driving is in place, we may all be able to drive to work autonomously at some point.
Source: Blick
I’m Ella Sammie, author specializing in the Technology sector. I have been writing for 24 Instatnt News since 2020, and am passionate about staying up to date with the latest developments in this ever-changing industry.
