Autopilot: The Good, The Bad, and The Future

While self-driving systems are rapidly improving, we have to face some challenges ahead, mainly regarding over-confidence and the improper use of these technologies.

Photo by Kirill Tonkikh on Unsplash

The advancement of technology has led to the development of semi-autonomous driving systems, such as Autopilot, which are becoming increasingly prevalent in electric vehicles. These systems use a combination of cameras, radar, ultrasonic sensors, and GPS to assist the driver with steering, braking, and acceleration, with the goal of making driving safer and more convenient. While these systems are designed to make driving safer, concerns have been raised about their potential to lead to overconfidence in drivers and increase the risk of accidents.

Electric cars are not the only vehicles to feature these systems; they have been around for over a decade. Radar-controlled cruise control was the first to be introduced, followed by lane departure warnings and lane-keeping systems. All of these were implemented without much fanfare.

Modern ICE and electric vehicles are equipped with adaptative cruise control, lane centering and change assistance, collision avoidance, automatic parking, and many others that help the driver and increase safety.

Levels of Autonomy in Passenger Vehicles

Although this is something that is repeated in every article talking about autonomy, it is essential to look at it again as this is what regulators take into account to find out who is responsible for driving in each case.

Autonomy in vehicles is defined in levels, ranging from Level 0 (no automation) to Level 5 (fully autonomous). The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has established the following classification of levels of automation:

• Level 0: No Automation. The driver is in full control of the vehicle at all times.
• Level 1: Driver Assistance. The vehicle can assist the driver with specific functions, such as braking or steering, but the driver is still in full control of the vehicle.
• Level 2: Partial Automation. The vehicle can control both the speed and steering under…