Driverless autos have emerged as a sensation in the autonomous market over the last few years, with companies ranging from mainstream automakers to the startups. Driverless autos can solve various problems, like traffic delays and traffic collisions caused by driver error, also driverless autos will bring to the market all sorts of new and exciting applications for a variety of industries like shipping, transportation, and emergency transportation.
There are levels to various five levels to autonomy, which break downs as follows:
- Level 0: The automated system has no influence over the vehicle except for may assist the driver in risks.
- Level 1: The driver and the automated system share control of the vehicle. Instances of this can be found in many vehicles furnished with ADAS.
- Level 2: The automated system is fit for assuming full charge for the vehicle; nonetheless, the driver must be prepared to mediate if the system neglects to perceive a possible danger.
- Level 3: The Automated framework assumes full charge for the vehicle, and the traveller can securely remove their consideration from driving assignments; nonetheless, they should at present have the option to mediate.
- Level 4: Driver can securely redirect all consideration from driving errands and let the automated system take full control. This usefulness is right now restricted to explicit "geofenced" regions and other generally controlled environments.
- Level 5: No human mediation is needed.
Now, let's look at the five leading mainstream and/or startups companies, that are leading the autonomous vehicle market, currently.
Tesla
Features:
Tesla's cars have eight cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors, and one forward-facing radar.
Developments:
Tesla's development of autonomy is happening by using customer-owned cars to collect important data. Out of the company's hundreds of thousands of customers, many use Autopilot on streets every day, and Tesla collects information about how well the feature performs.
Waymo
Features:
Waymo's self-driving minivans use three different types of LiDAR sensors, five radar sensors, and eight cameras. They also have microphones to detect sirens from emergency vehicles.
Developments:
Waymo gathers its real-world data via a fleet of about 500 to 600 self-driving Pacifica minivans. But they plan to add thousands more Chrysler minivans. They also announced a partnership with Jaguar Land Rover to develop a fully self-driving version of the all-electric I-Pace SUV.
GM Cruise
Features:
With the basic functionalities, Cruise contains three interior cameras for the safety of people, wireless internet, device chargers, and the doors on both sides that open from the center instead of rotating from hinges.
Developments:
GM Cruise has 180 vehicles in testing, which is also the second-largest number of vehicles in testing.
Each of their self-driving cars has been built from the ground-up. The Cruise vehicles utilize machine learning techniques, cloud-based tools, and IoT sensors to collect data about their surroundings and make smart decisions based on that insight.
Nissan
Features:
With ADAS(Advanced Driver Assist System), Nissan is also giving 3D mapping navigation in the new ProPilot 2.0 and the advanced sensors and cameras recognize the faces of pedestrians.
Developments:
Nissan plans to bring level 5 autonomous cars to the market by 2022. The makers aim to add autonomous-driving functions gradually, from allowing cars to handle single-lane driving by themselves, and then navigate urban roads, including intersections.
Argo AI
Features:
It delivers Level-4 self-driving systems, including the software and hardware computing platforms, sensors, cameras, radar, and light detection, and LiDAR. Their Third generation test vehicles include higher-resolution cameras, heating and cooling systems, and increased computer processing power.
Developments:
The company collects its data by urban site testing by capturing the driving behaviour and road culture of cities.
Argo AI aims to develop a car or operate a service. Rather, the company's goal is to develop a self-driving system.
Image source: Google Images