Page 120 - VERITAS Vol.2 Issue 2

An autonomous car can go anywhere a traditional car goes and does ev-

erything that an experienced human driver does.

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) currently defines 6 levels

of driving automation ranging from Level 0 (fully manual) to Level 5

(fully autonomous). These are:

• NO AUTOMATION: The human performs all driving tasks (steering,

acceleration, braking, etc.).

• DRIVER ASSISTANCE: The vehicle features a single automated
system (e.g., it monitors speed through cruise control).

• PARTIAL AUTOMATION: The vehicle can perform steering and

acceleration. The human still monitors all tasks and can take control

at any time.

• CONDITIONAL AUTOMATION: Environmental detection capabil-

ities. The vehicle can perform most driving tasks, but human override

is still required.
• HIGH AUTOMATION: The vehicle performs all driving tasks under

specific circumstances. Human override is still an option.

• FULL AUTOMATION: The vehicle performs all driving tasks under

all conditions. Zero human attention or interaction is required.

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WORKING OF SELF-AUTOMATED VEHICLES (SAVs)
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Autonomous cars create and maintain a map of their surroundings based
on a variety of sensors situated in different parts of the vehicle. Radar
sensors monitor the ultrasonic sensors in the wheels to detect curbs and
other vehicles when parking position of nearby vehicles. Video cam-
eras detect traffic lights, read road signs, track other vehicles, and look
for pedestrians. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors bounce
pulses of light off the car’s surroundings to measure distances, detect
road edges, and identify lane markings.
Sophisticated software then processes all this sensory input, plots a path,
and sends instructions to the car’s actuators, which control acceleration,

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Veritas Volume: 2, Issue: 2