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Advanced driver-assistance system | HearLore
— Ch. 1 · Radar Roots And Early Experiments —
Advanced driver-assistance system.
~5 min read · Ch. 1 of 7
After World War II, an engineer named Nathaniel Korman experimented with a system to control the speed of a train based on the speed of a train in front of it. He used radar technology for this experiment and noted that it could also be applied to on-road vehicles. In 1948, Ralph Teetor applied for a US patent in a speed control device for resisting operation of the accelerator. This patent was granted in 1950 and is now known as cruise control. General Motors later displayed a concept car in 1959 which used some variation of the system. The car had radar embedded in the front nacelles of the vehicle. ADAS were first used in production vehicles in the 1970s with the adoption of the anti-lock braking system. These early systems included electronic stability control, blind spot information systems, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and traction control.
Sensors That See The Road
ADAS rely on inputs from multiple data sources including automotive imaging, LiDAR, radar, image processing, computer vision, telemetry, and in-car networking. Additional inputs are possible from other sources separate from the primary vehicle platform such as telematics data from other vehicles or infrastructure. Modern cars have ADAS integrated into their electronics so manufacturers can add new features during the design process or after production via over-the-air updates. ADAS are considered real-time systems since they react quickly to multiple inputs and prioritize incoming information to prevent crashes. The systems use preemptive priority scheduling to organize which task needs to be done first. Incorrect assignment of these priorities can cause more harm than good. Some aftermarket ADAS are based on computer vision and utilize a windshield-mounted camera that continuously scans the road ahead.
When was the first patent for cruise control granted to Ralph Teetor?
The patent for the speed control device known as cruise control was granted in 1950. This followed an application filed by engineer Ralph Teetor in 1948.
What technologies do ADAS systems use to monitor vehicle surroundings?
Advanced driver-assistance systems rely on inputs from automotive imaging, LiDAR, radar, image processing, computer vision, telemetry, and in-car networking. Additional data sources include telematics information from other vehicles or infrastructure.
Which car brands offer Level 2 autonomy features such as Pilot Assist or ProPILOT Assist?
Major car brands with Level 2 features include Lexus, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, Volvo, Tata, Citroën, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Nissan, Peugeot, Mahindra and Subaru. Specific implementations include Full Self-Driving from Tesla, Pilot Assist from Volvo, OpenPilot from Comma.ai and ProPILOT Assist from Nissan.
When did the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issue Standing General Order 2021-01 regarding crash reporting?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued Standing General Order 2021-01 on the 29th of June 2021. The order was subsequently amended on the 5th of August 2021 to clarify reporting requirements for crashes involving ADS or Level 2 ADAS.
What is the trolley problem in relation to autonomous vehicle programming?
The trolley problem asks that under a situation which the trolley's brake does not work and there are five people ahead of the trolley, the driver may go straight killing the five persons ahead or turn to the side track killing the one pedestrian. This ethical dilemma must be addressed by the programming of self-driving cars using artificial intelligence approaches.
Blind spot monitor involves cameras that monitor the driver's blind spots and notify the driver if any obstacles come close to the vehicle. A rear cross-traffic alert typically works in conjunction with the blind spot monitoring system to warn drivers of approaching cross traffic when reversing out of a parking spot. Driver drowsiness detection aims to prevent collisions due to driver fatigue by obtaining information such as facial patterns and steering movement. If drowsy driving is suspected, the vehicle will sound off a loud alert and may vibrate the driver's seat. Forward collision warning monitors the speed of the vehicle and the vehicle in front of it to send an alert about a possible impending collision. These systems do not take control of the vehicle but only send an alert signal to the driver in the form of an audio alert or visual pop-up display. Parking sensors scan the vehicle's surroundings for objects when the driver initiates parking and issue audio warnings to notify the driver of distance between the vehicle and surrounding objects.
Market Growth And Adoption Rates
According to a 2021 research report from Canalys, approximately 33 percent of new vehicles sold in the United States, Europe, Japan, and China had ADAS features. The firm also predicted that fifty percent of all automobiles on the road by the year 2030 would be ADAS-enabled. In Europe, in Q2 2018, 3 percent of sold passenger cars had level 2 autonomy driving features. In Europe, in Q2 2019, 325,000 passenger cars were sold with level 2 autonomy driving features which was 8 percent of all new cars sold. Major car brands with Level 2 features include Lexus, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, Volvo, Tata, Citroën, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Nissan, Peugeot, Mahindra and Subaru. Full Level 2 features are included with Full Self-Driving from Tesla, Pilot Assist from Volvo, OpenPilot from Comma.ai and ProPILOT Assist from Nissan. Level 3 features are included in Honda Sensing Elite from Honda and Drive Pilot from Mercedes-Benz.
Mandates And Crash Reporting Rules
On the 29th of June 2021, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued Standing General Order 2021-01 which required manufacturers to promptly report crashes that occurred when driver-assistance or automation systems were in use. The order was subsequently amended on the 5th of August 2021. Under the amended order, a crash involving ADS or Level 2 ADAS is reportable if it happened on a publicly accessible road in the United States and the system was engaged at any time within 30 seconds before the start of the crash through the conclusion of the crash. Severe crashes must be reported within one calendar day after the manufacturer receives notice the crash has occurred. In addition, an updated crash incident report must be made within ten calendar days after the manufacturer receives notice the crash has occurred. According to initial data covering July 2021 to the 15th of May 2022, ADS from 25 different manufacturers were involved in 130 crashes led by Waymo LLC with 62 incidents. Similarly, ADAS from 12 different manufacturers were involved in 367 crashes over the same period.
Ethics And Algorithmic Choices
The advancement of autonomous driving is accompanied by ethical concerns dating back to as early as the age of the trolleys. The trolley problem asks that under a situation which the trolley's brake does not work and there are five people ahead of the trolley, the driver may go straight killing the five persons ahead or turn to the side track killing the one pedestrian. Before the development of autonomous vehicles, the trolley problem remains an ethical dilemma between utilitarianism and deontological ethics. As the advancement in ADAS proceeds, the trolley problem becomes an issue that needs to be addressed by the programming of self-driving cars. Many researchers have been working on ways to address the ethical concerns associated with ADAS using artificial intelligence approaches that allow computers to learn human ethics by feeding them data regarding human actions. Another notable method is a three-phase approach proposed by Noah J. Goodall which first necessitates a system established with the agreement of car manufacturers, transportation engineers, lawyers, and ethicists set transparently.