Autonomous Driving: A Dream in the Making

Text by Zi Jun Photos by Zi Jun & VCG Translation by Leo

Autonomous Driving: A Dream in the Making

Text by Zi Jun Photos by Zi Jun & VCG Translation by Leo

Do you wish you could read a bock or catch up on some sleep…while driving? When autonomous driving takes off, you’ll find yourself being able to do whatever you like while on the road as if you were merely a passenger. Built-in onboard ultra-high speed computers and sensors are replacing manually driven cars and can easily take you wherever you wish to go.

Autonomous (also called self-driving, driverless or robotic) cars are vehicles that drive themselves through computerised control of their steering, speed, braking etc. using a set of sensors and cameras, which are able to map nearby features, spot road edges and lane markings, read signs and traffic lights, and identify pedestrians. Today, a host of players are flexing their muscles in this field. These include well-established carmakers (Volvo, Lexus, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, GM, Ford, Nissan, etc.), tier-one auto parts suppliers (Bosch, Continental, Delphi, Mobileye, etc.), and IT companies (Google, Apple, Nokia, etc.). Some are still bent on research and development, while others are busy working on road tests.

In 2016, more permits were issued for selfdriving car testing than in any previous year. By8th December 2016, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) had issued 20 such permits, according to the DMV's official website.

It has been proven that autonomous cars can work far better than human drivers in terms of operational timeliness, accuracy and safety. Besides, they are also free from human errors. The benefits may include significant reduction in traffic accident casualties and related costs, reduced fuel consumption and less time spent commuting through congestion, higher speeds, shorter distance between vehicles, and more effective choices of routes.

A certain degree of autonomous driving is already possible with some models fitted with a variety of smart driver-assist systems. However, self-driving technology is subject to various ethical, moral, legal and regulatory constraints as well as bottlenecks in hardware and software.

无人驾驶，梦想照进现实

边开车边看小说？没关系！开车的时候趁机补个眠？可以! 当无人驾驶汽车真的走入我们生活之后，相信这些都不是问题，因为坐在驾驶座位的你，只是一个乘客而已。而超高速车载电脑和各种传感器则充当着“老司机”的角色，轻松把你送到目的地。

无人驾驶汽车，不是简单的自动驾驶，而是利用车载传感器或摄像头来感知车辆周围环境，并根据感知所获得的道路、车辆位置和障碍物信息，智能自主地控制车辆的转向和速度。当前，全球包括整车企业（沃尔沃、雷克萨斯、奥迪、宝马、奔驰、通用、福特、日产等）、一级零部件供应商（博世、大陆、德尔福、Mobileye等）和IT企业（谷歌、苹果、诺基亚等）在内的诸多公司，都在潜心研究开发及上路测试无人驾驶汽车技术。

在2016年，美国加州政府颁布的无人驾驶汽车测试牌照数量比往年更多。截至 2016 年 12月 8 日加州交管局官网显示的信息，共有20家公司拿到加州交管局颁发的自动驾驶测试牌照。

无人驾驶技术已经被充分证实，它在操作时效性、精确性和安全性等方面相比人类驾驶具有无比的优越性，而且不会出现人为操作失误的情况。每年能大幅减少全球交通事故人员伤亡和节省巨额的相关费用。此外，无人驾驶汽车还会通过缓解拥堵、提高车速、缩小车距以及选择更有效路线来减少通勤所耗时间和能源。

尽管目前市面上售卖的车型，都装备了各种智能驾驶辅助系统，已经能在一定程度上实现自动驾驶了。但其实除了软硬件技术研发方面的瓶颈外，自动驾驶的最终实现，还受到很多伦理和社会道德因素、法律法规因素的制约。

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FIELD

无人驾驶领域的最新进展

Ford launched second generation self-driving Fusion Hybrid

福特：将推出第二代Fusion自动驾驶车辆

So far, Ford has finished building a test fleet of 30 self-driving Ford Fusion Hybrid sedans and says it will triple that fleet to 90 by the end of 2017. Insiders revealed that Ford will soon debut an upgraded version of the first Fusion Hybrid autonomous research vehicle, which hit the streets three years ago. The new version, built from all-new parts and components, will be equipped with more advanced sensors, making it more compact and powerful in detection than its predecessor.

Hyundai showcased a fully autonomous version of Ioniq

现代：发布自动驾驶款Ioniq

Hyundai showed off a fully autonomous version of Ioniq at Los Angeles Auto Show in 2016. The concept car is able to see what's going on around through front radar sensors and the Smart Cruise Control radar sensor. It can also determine the precise location of the vehicle, road grade/ curvature, lane width and direction via a roofmounted GPS antenna.

Google and Fiat Chrysler launched a brand new driverless vehicle

谷歌：联手FCA发布自动驾驶车

Google and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) jointly launched a selfdriving vehicle system based on the all-new Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The biggest change of the minivan, after being worked by Google, is the suite of sensors deployed all over the car (including at the rear bumper, front fenders and roof). When outfitted with the sensor system and Google's proprietary software, the minivan can receive feedback from the outside environment and drive itself.

Delphi and Mobileye demoed their latest self-driving technology

德尔福：联合Mobileye展出最新自动驾驶技术

Mobileye and its partner Delphi showcased their automated driving system called Centralized Sensing Localization and Planning (CSLP) at the yearly event CES in Las Vegas. Their test vehicle drove 10km (6.2 miles) of combined highway and urban roads. The system is dubbed as the first turnkey, fully integrated automated driving solution with an industry-leading perception system and computing platform. The completed version of CSLP is expected to be released in 2019.

Volkswagen presented I.D. concept car

大众：将展出概念车“I.D.”

Volkswagen unveiled a brand-new I.D. family model, premiered at the Paris Motor Show in 2016, at the North American International Auto Show held in Detroit during Jan. 8-22, 2017. The concept car, built off Volkswagen's Modular Electric Drive kit (MEB), has its electric motor mounted in the rear and comes with a fully autonomous mode (“I.D. Pilot”). To enter the self-driving mode, a driver will push down on the VW logo to make the retractable steering wheel vanish into the dashboard. With that, scanners, sensors and cameras will take over, completely freeing up the driver's hands. The car can take up to seven people and its production version is expected to come in 2019.

Mercedes-Benz showcased its CASE strategy for future mobility

奔驰：将展示未来电动汽车智能化战略

Mercedes-Benz showed off its new corporate strategy CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared & Service and Electric Drive) at CES 2017 in Las Vegas. Under the banner of CASE, Mercedes-Benz presented the Generation EQ and the Vision Van on the same stage for the first time. The Generation EQ has advanced autonomous driving features and OLED displays. The Vision Van, an all-electric delivery van, also features self-driving technology plus two rooftop delivery drones, which ensure extra delivery efficiency.

Honda unveiled NeuV concept car fitted with an “emotion engine”

本田：将展出搭载“情感引擎”自动驾驶概念车

Honda disclosed some teaser shots of its latest concept autonomous EV commuter vehicle in December 2016. The concept car, dubbed the NeuV, is equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) called “emotion engine”, which can sense a driver's emotions and recognise his or her driving habits and physical conditions through a host of sensors and cameras, as well as carry on a conversation via a smart operating system.