Toyota Motor Corporation has entered into a preliminary agreement with Waymo, the autonomous driving technology company originally founded as part of Google’s self-driving car initiative in 2009, to explore a far-reaching collaboration aimed at accelerating the development and deployment of autonomous driving technologies. The initiative signals a major step forward in the integration of advanced mobility systems, as both companies seek to combine their technological strengths.
Joining the partnership is Woven by Toyota, the mobility and software innovation arm of Toyota. Woven will act as a strategic enabler, contributing its expertise in advanced software architecture and digital mobility solutions. Together, the three entities are aligning behind a shared vision of increasing road safety and expanding access to mobility through the advancement of autonomous technologies.
Central to the potential collaboration is the creation of a new autonomous vehicle platform. The companies will also evaluate how Waymo’s state-of-the-art self-driving technology can be integrated with Toyota’s manufacturing and vehicle design expertise to support the next generation of personally owned vehicles (POVs). This would mark a significant evolution for autonomous driving beyond fleet-based ride-hailing services, broadening its reach into the consumer market. While the exact parameters of the partnership are still under discussion, both parties have expressed a strong commitment to furthering the development of safe and scalable driver-assistance technologies.
In future, when motor vehicles can operate themselves and move around without control by a human driver, a steering wheel would no longer be necessary. That would add an extra seating space for a passenger who would not need to be qualified to drive. However, for now, autonomous vehicles (AVs) still require a steering wheel as a back-up in case control must be taken by a human in an emergency. The autonomous vehicle systems are still not considered 100% safe to be left to operate without such a safeguard.
Nevertheless, progress is being made and in April this year, authorities in China started permitting the removal of the steering wheel in AVs. In the US too, new regulations allow AVs to operate without having a steering wheel or pedals present. Of course, before such vehicles can be run on public roads, they would have to be tested and certified to be safe for use.
One company which has a production ready AV is Baidu, the well known tech company in China. Its name may not come to mind when talking about cars, but it claims to be the market leader in autonomous driving in China. This is based on the number of test kilometres and number of test licenses. As of December 31, 2020, Baidu had 199 autonomous vehicle driving licenses with extensive geographical coverage in China, compared to the second player which had approximately 20 licenses.
Recently, the company made headline news in the auto world when it announced a next-generation AV called the Apollo RT6. Designed for complex urban environments, the car will be put into operation in China in 2023 on Apollo Go, Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing service. Baidu plans to sell the Apollo RT6 at RMB250,000 (about RM165,000), a price level that it believes will quickly boost volumes for economies of scale.
“Massive cost reduction will enable us to deploy tens of thousands of AVs across China. We are moving towards a future where taking a robotaxi will be half the cost of taking a taxi today,” said Robin Li, Co-founder and CEO of Baidu, at the Baidu World 2022 conference recently.
Baidu is expected to start its robotaxi service in Beijing from the second half of 2023. It will help accelerate AV deployment at scale, bringing the world closer to a future of driverless shared mobility.
As Baidu’s 6th generation AV, the RT6 is distinct from previous generations that were otherwise retrofitted on conventional vehicles. Measuring 4760 mm long with a wheelbase of 2830 mm, it has a completely flat floor and rear legroom up to 1050 mm. The steering wheel is optional and can be removed if not required.
AVs require many sensors to collect information and images about their surroundings to safely move on roads, especially in complex urban environments. The RT6 has Baidu’s most advanced Level 4 autonomous driving system, powered by automotive-grade dual computing units with a computing power of up to 1200 TOPS. The electrically-powered AV utilizes 38 sensors, including 8 LiDARs and 12 cameras, to obtain highly accurate, long-range detection on all sides.
It is the first vehicle model built on Xinghe, Baidu’s self-developed automotive E/E architecture specially for fully autonomous driving. The autonomous driving capability of the RT6 is said to be equivalent to a skilled driver with 20 years of experience. Its safety and reliability have been confirmed by extensive real-world data from over 32 million kms of real-world testing. There is full redundancy throughout both hardware and autonomous driving software.
As the world’s largest robotaxi service provider, Baidu’s Apollo Go has expanded to 10 cities in China since its launch in 2020, including all first-tier cities, and provided more than 1 million orders. The Apollo ecosystem has more than 200 partners, tier one suppliers and other strategic partners.
The Apollo Robotaxi operation which will use the RT6 has been a massive business opportunity for Baidu. The company has T4 licenses, the highest level of autonomous driving test license issued by the working group led by Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport, which permits AVs to operate in complex driving conditions such as urban roads, tunnels, school zones and other scenarios. A pilot robotaxi program was made available to the public in 2019 and since then, the service has been extended to Beijing, Changsha and Cangzhou and expanded into larger networks and more complex road conditions.
China’s car market is so huge and so diverse that keeping track of all the manufacturers can be difficult. Every so often, a new name pops up and has already progressed into production with new models. The impetus brought on by the country’s focus on New Energy Vehicles brought forth a number of new players, and among them is Li Auto Inc. which came into existence in 2015 and is already listed on NASDAQ (the stock exchange in New York City).
Li Auto has so far completed development of two models – the Auto ONE and L9. The L9 is the flagship model and made its online debut last month, appearing in showrooms in China last week. Online pre-orders are said to number more than 30,000 customers and the first units are expected to be delivered from the end of August 2022. Pricing starts from RMB459,800 (about RM303,310).
More than 30,000 orders within 72 hours of making debut online.
The L9 is a large full-size SUV with space for 6 within. Its 5218 mm long body with a clean and simple design sits on an in-house developed platform which supports a dual-motor 300 kW/620 Nm powertrain with all-wheel drive. Fitted with a new-generation NCM lithium battery storing 44.5 kilowatt-hour, a range of between 180 – 215 kms is claimed.
There is also a range-extender system powered by a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, turbocharged engine with maximum thermal efficiency of 40.5%. Coupled with a low drag coefficient and high motor efficiency, the L9’s with range-extender in use is said to be able to reach between 1,100 – 1,315 kms. It can also supply up to 3.5 kW of electricity for external use if needed.
Proprietary autonomous technology
The L9 also has the company’s self-developed autonomous driving system called Li AD Max with enhanced functionality bolstered by upgraded perception capability and data processing power. The perception hardware includes one forward 128-line LiDAR, six 8-megapixel cameras, five 2-megapixel cameras, one forward millimetre wave radar, and 12 ultrasonic sensors. Together, the coverage is 360 degrees for detection of both vehicle surroundings and distant objects. In addition, there is a ‘sentry’ mode that monitors both the inside and outside of the vehicle through interior 3D ToF transmitters and exterior cameras.
To handle the increased processing needs resulting from the large number of sensors, the Li AD Max is powered by dual Orin-X chips with 508 TOPS of computing power and real-time, efficient processing of fusion signals. The dual processors provide fallback redundancies for each other, ensuring more stable operation of the autonomous driving system. In addition, the system is optimized to recognize and react to common accident scenarios, with features designed to identify and evade risks in advance and help prevent accidents.
Domain-based vehicle architecture
This SUV is one the first production models that deploys NXP’s S32G automotive network processors on its chassis system. The family of NXP S32G vehicle network processors marks a significant turning point in how vehicle architectures are designed and implemented, transforming the automotive industry to a high-performance domain-based vehicle architecture and providing software with minimal complexities and enhanced security and safety.
Adopting the S32G processors, there is an extra layer to the performance experience. The S32G processors not only provide ASIL D MCU and MPU performance with application-specific network hardware acceleration but also offloads processors to provide services with deterministic network performance necessary for the car to respond to the sophisticated real-time driving circumstances.
The S32G processors also embed high-performance hardware security acceleration, along with Public Key Infrastructure support for trusted key management enabled by its Hardware Security Engine (HSE). The firewalled HSE is the root of trust supporting secure boot, providing system security, and protecting against side-channel attacks, a crucial element in autonomous vehicles.
Smart cockpit
Within the SUV is a pioneering 5-screen 3-dimensional interactive mode which works with a head-up display (HUD) and interactive safe driving screen to present key driving information to the driver. The interactive screen, which is located above the steering wheel, adopts mini-LED and multi-touch technology, enabling easier interactions. The other 3 screens are large 15.7-inch 3K automotive-grade OLED screens that can be used for entertainment.
The L9’s smart cockpit is supported by a computing platform composed of two Qualcomm Snapdragon automotive-grade 8155 chips, which ensures the smoothness and responsiveness of its 5-screen 3-dimensional interactions.
For those who do not like the bother of having to park their cars in a carpark, hotels usually have valets to do the job. But valets may no longer have to do it either as cars will be able to park themselves after the owner has exited. Perhaps the first cars to be able to do so will be from Mercedes-Benz which has developed and begun to demonstrate the capability.
Working with a technology supplier, the German carmaker has developed automated valet parking technology which it calls INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT. The technology is available in the EQS BEV sedan as well as the latest S-Class sold in European markets. In order to enable the car to drive and park itself, it also requires an intelligent infrastructure installed in the parking area.
Sensors installed at the building communicate with the car and guide its manoeuvring through the parking area. This will allow the car to operate in highly automated mode and without a driver, and has the possibility of additional capabilities such as automated EV charging, car wash and vehicle servicing or maintenance where vehicles move in and out of service areas on their own
The automated parking process makes use of a smartphone app and the driver has to first position the car in a designated drop-off area. When activated, the sensor system in the carpark checks whether a suitable space is available or was already reserved for the vehicle. If so, the Automated Valet Parking infrastructure confirms the hand-over of the vehicle for the driver in the app, and the car will depart on its own. It will then be guided with the help of the infrastructure to the designated space.
When the driver requires the car, a request can be sent with the app and the car will be guided to the pick-up area. This will certainly be convenient for owners as it will be unnecessary to walk around the carpark and, for those who may be forgetful, waste time searching for the place where they parked it.
Automated parking technology, which could one day be as common as cruise control, benefits drivers by easing the burden of the parking experience. It may even be possible for carpark operators to cram more cars onto a floor as the spaces can be narrower since there is no need to allow wide gaps for doors to be opened.
“Low-speed manoeuvres are part of the holistic opportunity for automated technology,” said Dr. Kay Stepper, Senior Vice-President of automated driving and driver assistance for Bosch in North America. “Automated technology in the specific use case automated valet parking gets consumers comfortable with how automated technology works and how it can benefit them.”
Engineering teams have been working over the past few years to further develop automated valet parking and support specific testing and deployments around the world. The technology was recently demonstrated at a hotel in Los Angeles, California.
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“The demonstration at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown showcases how automated valet parking will operate in a working hotel environment where both automated and non-automated vehicles operate alongside pedestrian traffic,” said Dr. Stepper. “This allows us to dive into the dynamics of local deployments with the use of a highly-connected EQS from Mercedes-EQ to demonstrate how automated technology continues to move forward.”
“Our vision is that getting time back is a key component of the luxury experience our customers are looking for. The EQS gives you time back by driving itself in traffic jams on highways, but with INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT, it may also be able to park itself,” added Dr. Philipp Skogstad, President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America. “INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT is a feature that together with the required infrastructure enables an automated valet service that gives customers even more comfort and relief in everyday life.”
With autonomous cars on the horizon and the involvement of humans in actually driving becoming unnecessary, dramatic driving manoeuvres like cars sliding sideways or doing handbrake turns may become a ‘lost art’. In fact, such manoeuvres would not be done as the supercomputer ‘driver’ would deem them dangerous and its job would be to avoid such things.
This doesn’t mean that the computer isn’t capable of such dramatic actions and the Toyota Research Institute (TRI) in America has demonstrated in a world first. As shown in the video, a sportscar drifts on a closed track and while there is someone inside, he is not actually controlling its movements. Combining a deep knowledge of both vehicle dynamics and control design, TRI’s Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) approach extends the vehicle’s operational domain to the very limits of its performance.
Not a frivolous exercise
While the demonstration is impressive, it was not just a frivolous exercise and the idea behind it programming controlled, autonomous drifting is to ‘teach’ the computer how to avoid accidents by navigating around sudden obstacles or on very slippery road conditions.
“At TRI, our goal is to use advanced technologies that augment and amplify humans, not replace them,” said Avinash Balachandran, Senior Manager of TRI’s Human Centric Driving Research. “Through this project, we are expanding the region in which a car is controllable, with the goal of giving regular drivers the instinctual reflexes of a professional race car driver to be able to handle the most challenging emergencies and keep people safer on the road.”
‘Skills’ comparable to expert drivers
One year ago, TRI and the Dynamic Design Lab at Stanford University set out to design a new level of active safety to help avoid crashes and prevent injuries and fatalities. With the support of automotive performance specialist GReddy and drift legend Ken Gushi, this latest achievement is another step in that journey. By building skills comparable to an expert driver, this technology can amplify and augment a regular driver’s ability to respond to dangerous and extreme situations, helping keep people safe on the road.
“When faced with wet or slippery roads, professional drivers may choose to ‘drift’ the car through a turn, but most of us are not professional drivers,” said Jonathan Goh, a TRI Research Scientist. “That’s why TRI is programming vehicles that can identify obstacles and autonomously drift around obstacles on a closed track.”
This achievement brings TRI researchers closer to understanding the full spectrum of vehicle performance. The software advances announced today calculate a whole new trajectory every twentieth of a second to balance the car gracefully as it goes around the track.
NMPC explained
Combining the vehicle dynamics and control design insights from drifting-specific approaches with the generalized framework of NMPC yields a control scheme that extends the vehicle’s operational domain beyond the point of tyre saturation. This allows the vehicle to drive beyond the notions of traditional open loop stability to where the vehicle is skidding but still controllable due to closed loop driving control.
The NMPC controller can smoothly transition from dynamic, non-equilibrium drifting to grip driving, while accounting for multiple objectives including road bounds. This approach was tested on a Toyota Supra that has been specially customized for autonomous driving research. It is equipped with computer-controlled steering, throttle, clutch displacement, sequential transmission, and individual wheel braking. Vehicle state information is obtained from a dual-antenna RTK-GNSS-aided INS system at a rate of 250Hz, and the NMPC controller runs on an x86 computer.
For the purposes of data collection with expert drivers in a controlled environment, the suspension, engine, transmission, chassis and safety systems (eg roll cage, fire suppression) were modified to be similar to that used in Formula Drift competitions.
Zeekr, the premium electric brand in the Geely Holding Group, is less than a year old, having been established early this year. Its first product, the 001, was introduced in April as the flagship of the Zeekr range, with first deliveries starting three months ago. . In the next 5 years, the young carmaker plans to introduce 6 different models to the market.
The electric mobility technology and solutions utilize Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA), with in-house developed battery technologies, battery management systems, electric motor technologies and electric vehicle supply chain support.
Zeekr collaborates with Waymo
Besides its own line of production, Zeekr is also collaborating with Waymo, an American which specialises in autonomous driving technology development. It is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc, the parent company of Google. With Waymo, Zeekr will develop a new fully electric vehicle for use by the Waymo One autonomous ride-hailing fleet in the USA.
The plan
The new purpose-built mobility vehicle is being designed and developed at Zeekr’s R&D facility, CEVT (China Europe Vehicle Technology Centre) in Gothenburg, Sweden. This facility has a proven track record in developing class leading vehicles for the wider Geely Holding Group. Under this collaboration, Zeekr will be designing and developing the future vehicle on a new proprietary and open-source mobility architecture. Waymo will take delivery of the vehicles in the United States and will then integrate its fully autonomous Waymo Driver into the vehicle platform.
The new vehicle will be designed to be rider-centric from the outset, setting a new benchmark for autonomous vehicles. The new Zeekr vehicle has been designed for autonomous use-cases and will come with a fully configurable cabin, both with and without driver controls, that can be tailored towards rider requirements of Waymo’s unmanned ride-hailing fleet.
“Zeekr was born on the ideals of equality, diversity, and sustainability. By becoming a strategic partner and vehicle supplier to the Waymo One fleet, we will be able to share our experience, ideals and provide our expertise in collaborating on a fully electric vehicle that fits Waymo’s requirements for this rapidly expanding segment in the global market for sustainable travel,” said Andy An, CEO of Zeekr Technology.
‘Rider-first’ vehicle design
Waymo will integrate its ‘Waymo Driver’ into the new vehicle which is designed to prioritize the comfort, convenience, and preferences of users. The ‘rider-first’ vehicle will have a flat floor for more accessible entry, easy ingress and egress thanks to a B-pillarless design, low step-in height, generous head and legroom, and fully adjustable seats. It will have full compliance with U.S. federal vehicle standards and eventually be without a steering wheel and pedals.
The new autonomous vehicle developed with Geely will join this fleet that includes a hybrid Chrysler Pacifica and Jaguar I-PACE.
Tested in various conditions and climates
Waymo services have been tested in dozens of American cities spanning a diverse range of conditions, climates and topographies. They include New York City, which is the most densely populated city in the country, with busy avenues, unusual road geometries, complex intersections, and constantly evolving layouts.
The prototype vehicle used for the development of Waymo’s autonomous technologies.
The Waymo fleet that the Zeekr vehicle will join has hybrid Chrysler Pacificas and Jaguar I-PACE BEVs. It’s now been over a year that the company has been offering the world’s first commercial fully autonomous ride-hailing service – with no human driver behind the wheel – in the state of Arizona. Tens of thousands of rider-only trips have been done and more people are discovering the convenience of this type of mobility.
Vaccination does not make you immune to COVID-19 infection. You can still get infected and although you may not show symptoms, you could spread the coronavirus to others. Do not stop taking protective measures such as wearing a facemask, washing hands frequently and social distancing.
Some day, people will travel in cars that can operate without human control. All that will be needed is to get in, state the destination, sit back and the car will drive itself there. Whether we can then use the term ‘driving’ is debatable if a human is not involved, but it will be a revolution in mobility. Such capabilities will be in what are called autonomous vehicles, and over the past decade, they have been development by many companies (some of which are not the global carmakers).
The American Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) formulated a list of different levels of autonomy in 2014 which has been accepted by the industry. The document – SAE J3016 Recommended Practice: Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to Driving Automation Systems for On-Road Motor Vehicles – is commonly referred to as the ‘SAE Levels of Driving Automation’ and also has the involvement of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Many vehicles now at Level 2
SAE J3016 defines the 6 levels of automation for a vehicle, from Level 0 (no driving automation) to Level 5 (full driving automation) in the context of motor vehicles and their operation on roadways. Many vehicles with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) using radar or cameras are considered as having Level 2 autonomy. Even the Perodua Ativa (AV version) is able to meet Level 2 requirements.
Level 2 driving automation allows the computer to take over steering, acceleration, and braking but the driver must still pay attention to what is happening and be ready to take over control when necessary. In most cases, the systems help the driver rather than take over, thus reducing fatigue. In most systems, there is automatic emergency braking where the system can detect a possible collision and if the driver does not respond correctly, the brakes will be engaged automatically.
Autonomous systems must be able to not only direct a car to its destination but also keep it safely within its lane on the journey.
Moving to higher levels becomes more and more challenging as more autonomy is given the vehicle. This means that the environment around it must also be suitable for safe autonomous operation. For example, road lines must be clear for the camera to scan and use as lane references to guide the vehicle, and traffic control systems must be standardised. If the system is unable to recognise a red light and stop accordingly, then it would be very dangerous!
Recognising not just pedestrians and other vehicles is important but also being able to identify signs and traffic lights.
First approval for Level 3
For this reason, authorities in most countries are permitting autonomous vehicles only on specific sections of highways. While the manufacturers can develop their vehicles further, there is still a need to ensure safety for road-users so for now, Level 3 is still not common. Only Mercedes-Benz has met the demanding legal requirements for a Level 3 system, the first carmaker in the world to get approval. The German Federal Motor Transport Authority recently granted system approval for this on the basis of the technical approval regulation UN-R157, thus paving the way for offering such a system internationally.
In order for this to be done, the traffic laws had first to be revised for Level 3 systems and this was done in 2017. Other countries will also have to do likewise first before Level 3 autonomous vehicles can be allowed on their roads.
In Germany, the first customers of the latest S-Class with DRIVE PILOT will be able to enjoy Level 3 automation in the first half of 2022. This means they can drive in a conditionally automated mode at speeds of up to 60 km/h in heavy traffic or congested situations on certain stretches of the autobahn in Germany. The special DRIVE PILOT can take over the driving almost entirely so he or she can carry out tasks on the central display such as online shopping or processing e-mails in the in-car office. The system approval also applies to the EQS.
“For many years, we have been working to realise our vision of automated driving. With this LiDAR-based system, we have developed an innovative technology for our vehicles that offers customers a unique, luxurious driving experience and gives them what matters most: time. With the approval of the authorities, we have now achieved a breakthrough: We are the first manufacturer to put conditionally automated driving into series production in Germany,” said Markus Schafer, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG, Chief Technology Officer responsible for Development and Purchasing.
The technical approval regulation with which such a system can be certified did not come into force until the beginning of 2021. Since then, it can be implemented in Europe – an opportunity that Mercedes-Benz was quick and the first manufacturer to seize. With the revision of the Road Traffic Act for Level 3 systems, Germany was the first country to create a legal basis for the use of these systems.
On specific sections of autobahn
Mercedes-Benz is initially offering DRIVE PILOT on 13,191 kilometres of autobahn in Germany. Extensive test drives for this system are already underway in the USA and China. As soon as legal provisions are in place, for conditionally automated operation, the technology will be offered to customers.
On specified autobahn sections and where traffic density is high, DRIVE PILOT can offer to take over the driving, initially up to the legally permitted speed of 60 km/h. When the driver activates DRIVE PILOT, the system controls the speed and distance, and guides the vehicle within its lane. The route profile, events occurring on the route and traffic signs are taken into consideration. The system also reacts to unexpected traffic situations and handles them independently, eg by evasive manoeuvres within the lane or by braking manoeuvres.
Redundant systems for extra safety
DRIVE PILOT builds on the surround sensors of the Driving Assistance Package and comprises additional sensors that Mercedes-Benz considers indispensable for safe conditionally automated driving. These include LiDAR, as well as a camera in the rear window and microphones, especially for detecting blue lights and other special signals from emergency vehicles. There is also a wetness sensor in the wheel well.
As well as the sensor data, the DRIVE PILOT receives information about the road geometry, route profile, traffic signs and unusual traffic events (accidents or roadworks) from a digital HD map. This is made available and updated via a backend connection. The S-Class with the optional DRIVE PILOT also has redundant steering and braking systems and a redundant on-board electrical system, so that it remains manoeuvrable even if one of these systems fails and the safe handover to the driver can be ensured.
If the driver fails to take back control even after increasingly urgent prompting and expiry of the takeover time, eg due to a severe health problem, the system brakes the vehicle to a standstill in a controlled manner and with suitable deceleration. At the same time, the hazard warning lights and, once the vehicle has come to a standstill, the Mercedes-Benz emergency call system is activated and the doors and windows are unlocked, to make access easier for anyone offering assistance.
At the moment, there are many vehicles with Level 2 autonomous capability where the driver must maintain some degree of control and pay attention to the road and conditions ahead. However, with Level 3 (below), he will not need to pay attention (though he must be ready to take control) and can check messages or even watch a movie on the display.
During the conditionally automated journey, DRIVE PILOT allows the driver to take their mind off the traffic and focus on certain secondary activities. This is the major difference between Level 2 and Level 3 where, for the former, the driver must keep looking ahead and around at all times (no checking messages on the phone). With Level 3 (and above), the driver can do messaging via In-Car Office, surf the internet or even watch TikTok clip. In DRIVE PILOT mode, applications can be enabled on the integrated central display that are otherwise blocked while driving.
Better than GPS
The top priority for Mercedes-Benz when introducing such a system is safety, which includes high demands on operational reliability. The exact location of the car is determined using a highly accurate positioning system said to be much more powerful than conventional GPS systems. In addition, data obtained from satellite navigation are matched with sensor data and data from an HD map. Sensor data collected by LiDAR, camera, radar and ultrasonic sensors can be, for example, information on road geometry, route characteristics, landmarks or traffic signs.
The HD map provides a 3-dimensional street and environment image. The map data are stored in back- end data centres and updated constantly. Each vehicle also stores an image of this map information on board, constantly compares it with the backend data and updates the local data set if necessary. The HD map thus offers stable positioning through a representation of the surroundings independent of shadowing effects or a covered sensor. This high-precision map differs from maps for navigation devices by its higher accuracy in the centimetre rather than metre range and its detailed intersection and track model.
Level 3 autonomous motoring will be available as an option in the new S-Class from 2022, but it can only be used in Germany until laws in other countries permit such systems to be used on public roads.
While manufacturers are still developing autonomous vehicles for private use, it is likely that the first such vehicles that can operate entirely on their own will be commercial vehicles. These are already in use in closed sites but eventually, driverless vehicles could also be used on public roads to transport people around.
Motional, a US-based company founded as a US$4 billion joint venture between the Hyundai Motor Group and auto supplier Aptiv, has released details of its first commercial vehicle for fully driverless public ride-hailing services starting in 2023. Referred to as a ‘robotaxi’, it’s adapted from the latest Hyundai IONIQ 5 electric vehicle (EV).
The robotaxi is Motional’s fifth platform, its second one to go driverless on public roads. With ongoing evolution and advancement, the IONIQ 5 robotaxi benefits from the knowledge and data gained over 2.4 million kms in varied road environments, and hundreds of thousands of hours of testing and assessment.
Motional has hundreds of thousand of hours of knowledge and data for use in developing autonomous vehicles, especially with regards to detecting other vehicles and road-users.
The zero emissions robotaxi is being designed to have SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicle capability, which means it will be able to safely operate without a driver. To be able to operate autonomously with safety, it has more than 30 sensors – a combination of cameras, radars, and Lidar – prominently displayed across the exterior, easily distinguishing the robotaxi from human piloted vehicles.
These sensors provide robust 360-degree perception, high-resolution images, and ultra long-range detection of in diverse driving environments. The robotaxi will be outfitted with Motional’s proven driverless technology, which includes advanced machine learning systems — trained on decades of real-world data — that enables the vehicle to safely navigate challenging and complex driving situations.
The technology-driven design rides on the Hyundai Motor Group’s electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) (shown above) which was developed specifically for battery electric vehicles. The platform offers passengers with a spacious interior that will be comfortable to work in, relax, or socialize during their driverless ride.
The interior will also feature a suite of rider-focused interfaces to allow passengers to intuitively interact with the vehicle during their ride, such as directing the robotaxi to make an extra stop. The resulting passenger experience is expected to set a new standard for driverless ride-hailing which will be managed by Lyft, the second-largest ride-sharing company in America after Uber. The robotaxi will be displayed at the IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich in September and services with the vehicle are expected to start in 2023.
Honda is taking us one step closer to the day when cars will no longer need our involvement to reach the destination. That day is some way down the road and progressive steps will have to be taken as autonomous technologies continue to advance. Basically, the steps will follow those for autonomous vehicles formulated by the American Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and there are 5 ‘levels’, each increasing the degree of autonomy.
At this time, many vehicles can provide Level 2, which offers some autonomous operation such as adaptive cruise control where a safe gap will be automatically maintained from the vehicle in front. Automatic Emergency Braking is also a Level 2 capability where the vehicle’s brake will be activated automatically if the driver fails to respond correctly to an impending collision. Level 2 capability, which uses integrated Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), is moving down in the vehicle price ranges and even the recently-launched Perodua Ativa has it.
Honda now offers Level 3 in a version of its current Legend model which will be available for leasing only in Japan. As with the Clarity FCX Fuel Cell Vehicle produced between 2008 and 2014, Honda is only making a very limited number of units. Like the Clarity, of which only around 70 units were produced and leased, the same cautious approach is being taken for this advanced Legend variant. Honda says it will offer only 100 units for leasing, each based on a price of 11 million yen (about RM413,585). Limiting the model only to Japan will enable engineers to get to any car that has problems for quick examination, as compared to having to travel to other countries.
With Level 3, the amount of automation is greater and the driver can take his or her hands of the steering wheel for extended periods. With conditional automated driving in a limited area, it can perform more driving functions on its own. More advanced sensors constantly monitor the surroundings to ensure the car can proceed safely.
Honda SENSING Elite
The Level 3 capability is available with Honda SENSING Elite, the most advanced version of the Honda SENSING system that is already available in many Honda models sold in Malaysia. One of the ‘elite’ technologies is the Traffic Jam Pilot function, an advanced technology for which Honda has received type designation from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT).
Traffic Jam Pilot technology enables the automated driving system to drive the vehicle, instead of the driver, under certain conditions such as when the vehicle is in congested traffic on an expressway. For vehicle control, the system determines the position of the vehicle and road conditions using data from 3-dimensional high-definition maps and the global navigation satellite system (which includes GPS), while detecting the vehicle’s surroundings using several external sensors that provide 360-degree input. The automated driving sensors are around the bodywork, subtly integrated into the body panels of the flagship sedan model for a clean appearance.
Locations of the many sensors on the bodywork. Inside the car, a camera also monitors the driver (below).
At the same time, the system tracks the condition of the driver using a monitoring camera mounted inside the vehicle. Based on this wide range of information, the main electronic control unit recognizes current conditions, anticipates future conditions and applies a high-level of control to acceleration, braking and steering inputs to assist the driver and achieve high-quality and smooth driving.
1.3 million kms of testing
To ensure maximum safety and reliability, approximately 10 million patterns of possible real-world situations were simulated during system development, and real-world demonstration tests were conducted on expressways for a total of approximately 1.3 million kms. Moreover, the system incorporates a redundant system design to ensure safety and reliability in the event of a problem with any of the devices.
For autonomous motoring to be possible, environmental conditions must also be safe. Lane markings, signage and traffic signals must be clear so that the car’s sensors can detect them and take the necessary actions.
Specific to this model are Honda SENSING Elite indicator lights with carefully selected and visible positions, sizes, colours, brightness and other details, as well as a 12.3-inch full-LCD graphic meter. The equipment provides an intuitive understanding of system operation status, current driving situation and any requests to transfer control back to the driver.
More advanced autonomous systems
While owners of the Civic and Accord would be familiar with Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow and Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), the Honda SENSING Elite system has Adaptive in Lane Driving which assists with the driving of the vehicle and following of vehicles detected ahead within a recognized lane. The system drives the vehicle along the middle of the detected lane while maintaining the pre-set vehicle speed.
Active Lane Change Assist with Hands-off Function is also available, and when activated, the system provides throttle, braking and steering inputs necessary to accomplish the lane change. However, the driver must confirm that this is safe to do so, and also activate the relevant turn indicator. If required and conditions are safe, the system can also guide the car to overtaken a slower vehicle.
While driving using the Adaptive in Lane Driving, if the car is in traffic congestion, the system (under certain slow speed conditions) can take control of acceleration, braking and steering while monitoring the surroundings on behalf of the driver. The system will drive, stop, and resume driving within the same lane while maintaining a proper following interval in accordance with the speed of the vehicle detected ahead.
The benefit to the driver is that while the car is under the control of the system, he or she can watch entertainment on the display screen or do other things, instead of having to stay focussed on the road and other vehicles. This will reduce fatigue and stress while driving in a traffic jam and it is likely that once a driver experiences the benefit, he may never want to be without it!
Emergency stopping
In the event that the driver falls asleep or just does not respond to multiple system requests for a handover (the transfer of control back to the driver), the system will initiate deceleration and stopping of the vehicle by making lane change(s) to the outermost lane or the shoulder of the road. The Traffic Jam Pilot/Hands-off Function will be disengaged, and the system will further urge the driver to respond to the handover request using visual, auditory and tactile alerts including escalated alarm sounds and vibration on the driver’s seatbelt.
If the driver continues to be unresponsive, the system will assist deceleration and stopping of the vehicle while alerting other vehicles around using hazard lights and the horn. When there is a road shoulder, the system assists deceleration and lane changes until the vehicle reaches the shoulder of the road for a safe stop.
To know more about Honda models, technology and services available in Malaysia, visit www.honda.com.my.
Vehicles that can operate autonomously without humans at the wheel to guide them can be very useful, especially in conditions which may be hazardous to humans. For instance, they can be used to enter areas which may be highly contaminated with radiation to perform various activities or carry various types of payload while traveling over challenging terrain. They could even be used on the moon or other planets, like the various machines that have been roaming Mars for years.
Hyundai Motor Group’s New Horizons Studio, in partnership with Autodesk and Sundberg-Ferar, have developed such a vehicle which they have named TIGER (Transforming Intelligent Ground Excursion Robot). It is the company’s second Ultimate Mobility Vehicle (UMV) and the first designed to be uncrewed.
The development of the TIGER is being carried out at the studio which has its headquarters in California. The facility was established in late 2020 to develop UMVs drawing on research and innovation leadership from Silicon Valley and other innovation hubs.
“Vehicles like TIGER, and the technologies underpinning it, give us an opportunity to push our imaginations,” said Dr. John Suh, Head of New Horizons Studio. “We are constantly looking at ways to rethink vehicle design and development and re-define the future of transportation and mobility.”
Capability across remote, inaccessible terrain
The TIGER’s exceptional capabilities are designed to function as a mobile scientific exploration platform in extreme, remote locations. Based on a modular platform architecture, its features include a sophisticated leg and wheel locomotion system, 360-degree directional control, and a range of sensors for remote observation.
A large load bay housed within its body means the TIGER can carry goods for delivery, or be deployed to deliver aid packages in emergency situations. Leg-wheel articulation enables it to tackle a range of extreme situations while keeping payloads more level than a typical ground vehicle.
With its legs retracted, the TIGER moves like an all-wheel drive vehicle and is in its most efficient mode because it moves by rolling traction. But when the vehicle gets stuck or needs to travel over terrain that is difficult or impassable for wheels alone, it uses its walking ability to get unstuck or more easily travel over that terrain. This was a feature previously seen in the Elevate, the Korean group’s first-ever UMV concept with moveable legs, which was displayed at the 2019 CES (Consumer Electronic Show).
Like the Elevate, which also had transforming 4 leg-wheel ground vehicle, the TIGER shares similar characteristics such as its legs and wheels. The difference between the Elevate and the TIGER is that, while the former can carry passengers, the latter is uncrewed. Both vehicles blend robotic and wheeled locomotion technologies, allowing them to traverse terrain beyond the limitations of even the most capable off-road vehicle.
The vehicle can also connect to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) which can fully charge and deliver the TIGER to inaccessible locations.
The first TIGER
The first version is the X-1 (‘X’ for ‘experimental’) and brings together a wide-range of technological and design expertise. It fuses Autodesk’s generative design capabilities with Hyundai’s growing R&D capabilities in mobility. The teams have been working together to create a lightweight but incredibly strong structure, with the legs and certain chassis elements created using carbonfibre composite additive printing.
The New Horizons Studio has been focused on developing technologies to enable concept vehicles such as the TIGER. These technologies include wheel-leg locomotion, high-performance materials and structures, high-performance power systems, chassis and body systems, virtual development and evaluation systems, and human-centered design and systems. Each of these represents significant technical progress that can be applied to any vehicle and will speed the development of advanced mobility solutions.
UMV concepts in development do not rely solely on wheels and are expected to address challenging driving situations – for example, a car with robotic legs could save lives as the first responder in natural disasters; or people without access to a curb ramp could hail a car to walk up to their front door, level itself and allow wheelchairs to roll in.
