Difficulties in Implementing Autonomous Driving Technology
Autonomous driving technology is divided into five levels, from L1 to L5, indicating increasing levels of automation. The most advanced technology available today reaches L4, where vehicles can handle all driving tasks independently in certain conditions. However, L4 technology is still limited to specific scenarios like logistics, warehousing, and mining.
1. Environmental Detection and Perception
Autonomous vehicles rely on various sensors, such as GPS, IMU, cameras, LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, and ultrasonic radar, to gather information about their surroundings. These sensors detect vehicle positioning, road conditions, pedestrians, and traffic signs. The main challenge is ensuring these sensors can accurately perceive the environment in all complex situations.
2. Intelligent and Precise Vehicle Control
After gathering environmental data, the vehicle needs to plan routes and adjust speeds, making real-time decisions for tasks like overtaking, detouring, parking, and accelerating. A significant challenge is ensuring that autonomous vehicles can always make the correct decisions.
3. Safety and Reliability
Autonomous vehicles must operate with high safety and reliability, avoiding accidents in all situations. Despite leading the field and achieving one million miles of fully autonomous driving, Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors, suspended all its autonomous driving operations after a fatal accident in 2023.
In summary, complex road conditions, the need for precise and responsive control, and the requirement for complete safety are the main obstacles to the commercial operation of autonomous driving technology.
