In the past, cars were just machines that took us from point A to point B, relying on basic computer systems only to control functions such as the engine and anti-lock brakes. Let’s face it – sometimes you were lucky that your car started on a cold winter morning.
But cars have come a long way thanks to the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Now, we have self driving cars, a dashboard in our vehicles that’s more like a command center, with high-tech features and displays that provide real-time information on everything from fuel consumption to traffic updates.
We have gone from using cruise control to AI-powered vehicles that take control of the speed and the lane and even self driving cars.
Modern vehicles and artificial intelligence are frequently complementing technological concepts. The first one depends on the second one to exist. The employment of AI in the automotive industry is a hot topic worldwide, although it is being adopted quickly in many other sectors.
One reason for this huge interest in autonomous vehicles is the need to make roads safer. For this reason, self driving car companies like Tesla, Waymo, Ford, BMW, and many others are focusing on developing autonomous vehicles and creating advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
So, what does AI in cars look like? Imagine driving down a busy highway in heavy traffic. In a traditional car, we must keep a constant eye on the road, monitoring the traffic ahead and adjusting our speed and direction.
Now, imagine that you’re driving a Tesla Autopilot. Its Autopilot system uses sensors and cameras while also assisting you – the driver – with changing the lane and anticipating and responding to changes in the road ahead. This will allow you to simply relax and focus on other things at the same time. Wouldn’t be cool to watch a TV show while driving? Yes, this might sound dangerous, of course, but with the advancements of AI in cars, self driving car companies are soon making this a reality.
In fact, when we think about driving a modern car, we already expect it to have certain features that make our life easier. Well, high-definition cameras, ultrasonic sensors, radar, and LiDAR are some of the tools that all cars have. Right now, we can park more easily, choose a specific route to avoid traffic, and, of course, avoid accidents.
All of these are mostly done by implementing board cameras within the cars’ systems and other complementary AI-powered systems. These cameras provide drivers with a rearview or 360-degree view of their surroundings. They can observe the accuracy of driver assistance systems while also having sensors that alert the driver regarding a possible imminent collision. Take Volvo’s emergency brake system, for example. With its AI-powered systems, Volvo saved a child’s life by automatically stopping the truck when the radar identified the young one.
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But where is this going? Easy – fully autonomous vehicles.
We can all agree that the integration of AI in cars has allowed the car industry to advance in ways that we didn’t even think about twenty years ago. From alerting us of dangerous conditions to monitoring blind spots, braking stops, and even parking our cars. But is this going to stop here? Of course not.
We can’t ignore the elephant in the room – self driving cars. We’ve already seen Level 1 and Level 2 autonomous vehicles. In fact, those advanced driver assistance systems that I have previously mentioned fall under these categories, with Tesla Autopilot and Cadillac’s Supercruise.
But soon enough, we will see further improvements in this field, with Level 3 autonomous cars being widely available to the public. What exactly does Level 3 mean? Well, we know for sure that Level 5 is the level at which human input will no longer be necessary, and the car in itself won’t have a brake pedal, a steering wheel, or an accelerator pedal. Indeed, this “dream” is far from our reality.
But while Level 2 cars are still somehow limited, Level 3 is closer to our dream reality than ever. And Mercedes-Benz is the reason it became the first certified manufacturer to offer Level 3 vehicles in the USA! Mercedes-Benz S Class will take away our responsibility of driving in high-traffic density areas. The systems will be activated using certain buttons to control the car’s speed, considering the distance between our vehicle and the car ahead. To accomplish this, Mercedes-Benz’s Drive Pilot has advanced technologies that create a 3D image of the road ahead and its surroundings, allowing them to predict road conditions.
Plus, we can’t forget about Waymo self driving car! Self driving car companies are completely developing Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous driving systems. Some of them are even succeeding, although they still haven’t made it widely available. But who knows? AI will drive us by the end of 2030 or 2040.
All of this sounds so good, but… can we put all our trust in AI?
The truth is that “the dream” many of us share, where AI cars are going to make the roads a safer place, is still facing a lot of setbacks as technology is still evolving. And unfortunately, we are miles away from letting our car drive us home.
We all want to get to self driving cars, but the reality is that right now, we shouldn’t put all our faith in the software but rather be ready to step in at every moment to prevent something bad from happening. At the end of the day, even with all of the advancements, it is still our responsibility to make sure that we are following the traffic guidelines.
Even more so, risks can also be associated with the car functioning in unfortunate weather. Heavy rain, snow, or dense fog – all of these may cause the sensors of the car to fail, and while AI is supposed to handle this kind of situation, there is still some more work to be done for us to feel and be safe.
Indeed, we’re far away from having fully-autonomous cars. But let’s face it – the developments that have been done until now are incredible, and car manufacturers are continuing to make even more progress in this area. And it’s all because of artificial intelligence!
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