Self-driving cars from the perspective of an automotive supplier

When will ... arrive self-driving cars because now really nationwide? Is the paradigm shift Autonomous driving in 2020 in the immediate range or next to the Electromobility “Just” another top topic in the automotive industry? Also Minebea Mitsumi develops products for autonomous vehicles. The automotive supplier shows which level we have reached and which intermediate stations the journey into the mobility of the future leads through.

Contents

• Autonomous driving in Germany and the world
• When and how will self-driving cars hit the streets?
  • The five stages of autonomous driving
• Future mobility opportunities
• Self-driving cars totally connected
  • Autonomously looking for a parking space
• Autonomous driving and ethics
• Obstacles and challenges of self-driving cars
  • Data security in self-driving vehicles
  • Components for self-driving cars
• Autonomous driving in the smart city
  
  

Autonomous driving in Germany and the world

While the competition between automobile manufacturers and its development partners is in full swing, the IT industry is working flat out on the digital infrastructure. The developments and patent applications are increasing rapidly and yet the transition to Mobility of the future lengthy, because the legal basis is missing.

We at Minebea Mitsumi see great opportunities and many challenges such as ethical sticking points and globally different basic requirements. According to a study by the auditing and consulting firm KPMG, the conditions for self-driving cars are best in the USA, the Netherlands and Singapore when compared in terms of politics, legislation, technology, innovation, infrastructure and customer acceptance.

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However, half of the relevant patents come from Germany. It is all the more astonishing that the German motorists tend to lag behind in developing and testing the new technologies - at least in their own country. One reason for this is the more liberal legislation in the US or China. The Audi A8 could drive highly automated since 2017, if the necessary software were legally activated.

In addition to the lack of legislation, the backlog in Germany and Europe is certainly also based on the prevailing safety requirements, keyword "Safety First Approach". The accident statistics, however, confirm these precautionary measures.

When and how will self-driving cars hit the streets?

Usually, the timeline for implementing autonomous driving speaks of five stages. They start with assisted driving and extend to self-driving cars. In Europe we are currently predominantly in the third stage. In China, however, is recently Were started with driverless test drives in Guangzhou.

Sends in the USA Waymo As part of his Early Rider Program, driverless taxis have already hit the streets in sparsely populated suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona. And with Elon Musk it should Tesla Achieve the basic functionality for level 2020 by 5. The video from April 2020 shows how far Tesla is here:

The five stages of autonomous driving

Autonomous driving level 1 

In level 1 one speaks of assisted driving. These include, for example, the cruise control or the automatic lane departure warning system.

Autonomous driving level 2 

Level 2 means partially automated driving. The driver has to keep an eye on the traffic throughout and always be in control of his vehicle. However, the vehicle keeps its lane independently in places, as on the motorway, and accelerates or brakes automatically. Parking assistance and overtaking assistance, where the driver can take their hands off the steering wheel, are also included in level 2.

Autonomous driving level 3 

With the  highly automated driving In many places we are currently before level 3. In certain scenarios the vehicle drives independently without the driver having to keep his hands on the steering wheel or his eyes on the traffic. In response to a signal from the system, however, the driver must be able to take full control of the self-driving car again at short notice. However, it could for a limited period of time, for example, on the motorway under regular conditions read a book.

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Autonomous driving level 4 

In the fully automated driving In level 4, the self-driving car covers longer distances completely independently. The driver is a passenger. For example, he could sleep during the fully automated journey. He is not liable for traffic violations. The autonomous system must be designed in such a way that the car can switch to a safe state in cross-border situations, even if the passenger cannot or does not want to intervene.

Autonomous driving level 5 

In the full autonomous driving there are only passengers. At level 5, the vehicle can handle all traffic situations. For example, it drives independently through the roundabout and over intersections. In the event of an accident, the manufacturer of the self-driving car would be liable. There are still no legal and insurance principles to ensure that passengers would not be held liable for accidents.

Future mobility opportunities

Let's take a look at the opportunities that self-driving cars offer us: alongside Passenger comfort there are numerous other advantages: Compared to humans, autonomous systems do not become unfocused, tired, aggressive and do not allow themselves to be distracted. Your response times are many times shorter. This results in much greater road safety.

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The number of road deaths could in some cases be reduced by up to 25%. The occupants can use the travel time for other purposes. People who, due to e.g. B. health or age are no longer able to drive a vehicle, would be mobile again. And air conditioning the transport of goods could be automated through optimized traffic management and passenger transport and CO₂ Lower emissions.

Self-driving cars totally connected

The self-driving car comes with numerous mobile devices be networked in its environment. The smartphone will register a cyclist through his smartphone from a great distance. It can also warn the following autonomous cars of an obstacle.

Autonomously looking for a parking space

The tiresome search for parking spaces in the big city will be carried out independently by the self-driving car via platforms that integrate parking guidance systems. The vehicle occupants no longer even have to be present. There are many other aspects that could be added to the list of benefits from autonomous driving. But let's leave it at that before some people begin to dream of KITT from Knight Rider.

In theory, using Artificial intelligence (AI) already master many complex situations in road traffic. Technically, most of the scenarios described have long been realizable. And yet there are still major hurdles.

Autonomous and non-autonomous vehicles will probably be on the road for years, if not decades. Human drivers, Cyclists and pedestrians do not always act in accordance with the rules and can push intelligent systems to their limits so quickly. On the other hand, a human driver might be surprised that a self-driving car adheres strictly to a solid line. In front of an obstacle, for example, it will then make an unforeseen stop.

Autonomous driving and ethics

Autonomous driving also raises ethical questions: Which algorithms are for Exceptional situations to formulate that harm people? Against this background, the so-called Trolley problem from weighing and utilitarianism. Here are questions to be answered like:

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• In a situation, can a person on the street be evaded only by putting the occupant himself in danger?
• How should the system decide then?
• Should the autonomous system offset the number of human lives at risk against each other?
• Should the age or physical characteristics of the people involved be offset against each other?
• Im Morale Machine Experiment examines how people from 233 countries would solve the trolley problem. The results show where, for example, the majority would be more likely to have a criminal run over than a dog. In Germany, the ethics committee has taken a clear position on this, which strictly prohibits qualification based on personal characteristics and offsetting victims.

Obstacles and challenges of self-driving cars

Another hurdle of autonomous driving is that Question of liability for accidents. Who's to blame when technology fails? The level of automation plays a crucial role here. Up to level 3, the driver is undoubtedly responsible. At levels 4 and 5 this is not so clear. If the occupant is only a passenger, the manufacturer must be liable.

At levels 3 and 4, the willingness to perceive must be clarified. This regulates how quickly the driver must be able to regain control of the vehicle. From level 4 at the latest, a black box must be used to prove who was in control at the time of the accident, the driver or the car.

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As of January 2021, the United Nations binding international rules adopted for automated driving at level 3. They create clarity for roads on which no cyclists or pedestrians are allowed. In particular, the rules specify how the handover of control between the driver and the autonomous system must take place. In addition, regulations are made on cybersecurity, liability issues and technical specifications.

Data security in self-driving vehicles 

Data security is also a major challenge for autonomous driving. A connected car generates around 10 TB (terabytes) of data per day. In order to avoid data chaos, all networked units must function on a higher platform level and communicate with one another. This is where the monetization of data, cybersecurity and the GDPR a role.

With all the advantages and the temptation during our travel activities to use the time for other purposes than expose yourself to the stress of highways, the technology of autonomous driving is still extremely expensive and its introduction in the private customer sector is therefore still unthinkable. In particular Lidar technologies are very expensive.

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And yet corporations manage to take on a pioneering role here. The basis for the Tesla's lead can be seen in that Elon Musk initially only passes the high-tech costs on to its customers to a limited extent. If all external requirements are met later, the full digital equipment will be activated for a fee. This means that more automated driving could later be booked in a kind of subscription, not just with Tesla.

We know such a sales strategy from the BMW updates. The Automobilist offers software packages against payment, in which, for example, an extended voice assistant or improved braking intervention can be activated. (Source: Süddeutsche Zeitung, June 19.06.20, XNUMX)

Components for self-driving cars

In addition to motorists, numerous automotive suppliers are concerned with the mobility of the future. Owns most of the patents in the field of autonomous driving Bosch.

Auch Minebea Mitsumi develops a wide range of products for self-driving cars. Resonance devices warn drivers of level 2 and 3 self-driving cars if action must be taken in dangerous situations.

For Lidar technology he comes FDB engine with extremely smooth running and running accuracy. In terms of electromagnetic compatibility, coils are used for optimization. For the various DC and BLDC Engines as well as the actuators from Minebea Mitsumi, there are numerous new applications such as automatic tailboards or electric parking brakes. Break-by-wire applications are also conceivable. Stepper motors drive the head-up display. Batteries Sensors know for themselves when the autonomous car needs to recharge.

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Camera connectors and taillights take over z. B. driver monitoring, seat occupancy detection and the digitization of mirrors. Antennas for the Car-to-car communication and resolvers also make their contribution to the mobility of the future.  

Autonomous driving in the smart city

Paradox engineering, a subsidiary of Minebea Mitsumi, looks at the trend topic from the Smart city-Perspective. Existing network nodes from the areas of smart parking or smart lighting could form a virtual corridor for self-driving cars and allow safe navigation and traffic management.

Reference rules based on the data of the environment could significantly improve security. The Network nodes von Paradox are blockchain capable and offer maximum security when exchanging information and data

The approach was originally for Drones developed and patented. This is intended to detect flight paths for autonomous parcel deliveries or monitoring services. If you think outside the box, this concept can be transferred to any unmanned, autonomously driving object - a valuable approach for autonomous driving. So the technology is ready to use.

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