Autonomous vehicles have been the dream of automobile industry for a considerable period of time. The extensive research and development in the field have made this once a far-away dream into a seemingly achievable target. As we approach the point of converting this wildest dream to reality, the concern regarding repairs, maintenance, and, most importantly, safety gains high importance.
Multiple auto manufacturers are sprinting to be the first to market a self-driving car. Waymo, Tesla, GM, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and many others are expanding their levels of activity in the autonomous vehicle space.
A vehicle’s autonomy can be divided into five levels. Most modern-day cars in India incorporates level 1 and 2 of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System). This is the stage where certain features like adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, etc are present. These stages demand the presence and active involvement of the driver. When it comes to level 4 and level 5, the car achieves full autonomy in all circumstances.
Repairs and Maintenance
AVs are far more technical with complex systems which take care of the responses to everything around the car. As the system gets more complex, the repair and maintenance also get complex. Google’s self-driving car, Waymo features a radar that enables cruise control, ultrasound employed for assisted parking, cameras for lane-keeping and back-up assistance, GPS systems to decide a car’s position, and sensors that help with navigation when satellite signals are obstructed. Waymo is also equipped with Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology, which gives the driver a 360-degree view. The sensors and chips for this car are outrageously expensive, and repairs will cost you a good sum.
Tesla, another candidate in the race to develop self-driving cars, is considering bundling the cost of maintenance and insurance with its AV sales, so that the consumer won’t necessarily feel it up front, and they won’t have to suddenly come up with the cash at the time maintenance is required.
Car repairs and maintenance are usually the major trauma or fear that every owner goes through. It often becomes the most time-consuming process which loots a good chunk of money out of one’s pocket. Can you imagine a world where you no longer need to worry about the repairs and maintenance schedule of your car? Could you possibly imagine a world where cars automatically diagnose their own maintenance needs, schedule an appointment with the service centre, and drive themselves there? That’s how autonomous vehicles are going to change the world of automobiles.
Latest technologies such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, and computer vision will be able to make maintenance checks quicker and more convenient, ensuring that cars without a driver monitoring their performance will be safe and reliable. Starting from the assembling stage, manufacturers will need to adopt new technology to reassure customers and pave the way for AVs.
Service
Unlike manual driving cars, autonomous cars are in itself far more complex. This creates a skill gap for technicians who are proficient in servicing human-driven vehicles. Service technicians should be transitioned to electrical services from mechanical services. Autonomous vehicle technicians need to take care of the vast network connectivity inside the vehicle.
The AV development requires extensive testing on software, hardware, vehicle components, vehicle systems, and sensing devices. After the development, proper documentation is necessary. A class of new tools are available which can reduce the time and effort of technicians. Advanced examples, such as Capital Publisher, can reuse data directly from upstream engineering processes.
Safety Regulations
The UNECE World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) recognises that for automated vehicles to fulfill their potential in particular to improve road transport, they must be placed on the market in a way that reassures road user safety.
According to WP29, system safety, failsafe response, Human Machine Interface which can request the driver to take over the driving if there is an emergency, Object Event Detection and Response (OEDR), Operational Design Domain (ODD/OD), validation for system safety, cybersecurity, software updates, Event Data Recorder (EDR) and Data Storage System for Automated Driving vehicles (DSSAD), etc are some of the major principles. These are examined through Multi-pillar concepts: audit, simulation, electronic system compliance, digital identity, test track, real-world driving evaluation, in-use monitoring, and use of scenarios.
This should protect the operational needs for the mix of further functions in driving: longitudinal control (acceleration, braking, and road speed), lateral control (lane discipline), environment monitoring (headway, side, rear), minimum risk maneuver, transition demand, HMI (internal and external) and driver monitoring. This work item should also cover the requirements for functional safety.
Safety Risks
As vehicles largely become autonomous, there are certain safety risks that come with it too. The existing infrastructure might become unreactive due to mistakes or errors caused by autonomous vehicles. After a point, the passengers might get overly confident in the ability of autonomous vehicles in such a way that they might respond late to hazardous situations. The cars are always at a threat of cyber attack where the possibility of stealing vehicles and personal information are there. There is a possibility of unexpected software system malfunction which can lead to accidents involving other road users.
Sensors are the eyes of AVs. Regular checking and replacement of sensors are essential in this regard. Regular software updates to fix bugs and hardware inspection to prevent software malfunction are to be done. The level of safety to be ensured by AVs implies that an automated/autonomous vehicle shall not cause any massive or non-tolerable risks.
Conclusion
As we are well aware, autonomous vehicles are not a small dream that’s there at the end of a long tunnel. Fully functional autonomous vehicles are a dream that’s going to be a reality very soon. But we have a bit of work at hand to achieve the target safely and graciously. Technicians and manufacturers have a challenge in front of them to make this vision a reality by ensuring proper functioning, security, repairs, and maintenance. Developing a new R&D strategy is essential for this and fair follow-up of the safety protocols will ace us towards the target.
-Vaishnav Satheesh