What is a self-driving car?
A self-driving car is a vehicle capable of moving with little or no input from a human operator.
Self-driving cars use a combination of radar, sensors and cameras to scope and understand their environment, and travel using artificial intelligence (AI).
Self-driving cars are also known as robot cars, autonomous cars or driverless cars.
Self-driving cars use a combination of radar, sensors and cameras to scope and understand their environment, and travel using artificial intelligence (AI).
Self-driving cars are also known as robot cars, autonomous cars or driverless cars.
Self-driving car vs driverless car: what’s the difference?
While the two terms are used interchangeably, there’s technically a difference between self-driving and driverless cars.
Self-driving cars have an autopilot system that can do some or all the work involved in operating a vehicle without human control. That said, the human driver can still take control at any time.
Driverless cars are more advanced and don’t have anyone behind the wheel. In some cases, they don’t even have a wheel. Imagine a taxi coming to pick you up without anyone sat in it – that’s driverless.
TL; DR: A driverless car is self-driving, but a self-driving car isn’t necessarily driverless.
Self-driving cars have an autopilot system that can do some or all the work involved in operating a vehicle without human control. That said, the human driver can still take control at any time.
Driverless cars are more advanced and don’t have anyone behind the wheel. In some cases, they don’t even have a wheel. Imagine a taxi coming to pick you up without anyone sat in it – that’s driverless.
TL; DR: A driverless car is self-driving, but a self-driving car isn’t necessarily driverless.
Autonomous car vs automated car: what’s the difference?
There’s also a difference between autonomous cars and automated cars.
Properly autonomous cars are a bit of a distant dream. An autonomous car would be able to act independently: choosing routes and destinations and making decisions for itself such as which lanes to use and when to overtake.
Most self-driving cars are automated. They can follow orders and are controlled or operated by a machine, though they still need a human driver to take control if necessary.
Some cars already have automated features (also called automatic features, just to confuse us) like self-parking and adaptive cruise control.
TL; DR: everyone calls them autonomous cars, but they’re technically automated cars (for now).
Properly autonomous cars are a bit of a distant dream. An autonomous car would be able to act independently: choosing routes and destinations and making decisions for itself such as which lanes to use and when to overtake.
Most self-driving cars are automated. They can follow orders and are controlled or operated by a machine, though they still need a human driver to take control if necessary.
Some cars already have automated features (also called automatic features, just to confuse us) like self-parking and adaptive cruise control.
TL; DR: everyone calls them autonomous cars, but they’re technically automated cars (for now).
Levels of automation
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE International) created this rather handy guide as to how we can classify self-driving, driverless and autonomous cars.
There are currently six levels of automation, based on the amount of human attention and intervention required when driving.
Level 0: no automation
Level 0 vehicles don’t tend to have any automated features. There may be an automated system that issues warnings, but you’ll have to do the work.
In the UK, this accounts for most cars older than around five years old.
Level 1: driver assistance / “hands on”
At Level 1, you share some control of the car with an automated system but are expected to do the bulk of the driving and retake control at any moment. Examples of Level 1 automation include adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assistance and parking assistance.
There’s been widespread use of this technology in cars made in last 5 years.
Level 2: partial automation / “hands off”
At Level 2, the automated system takes control of accelerating, braking and steering. As a driver, you need to monitor the journey and be ready to retake control immediately. NB: even though it’s called hands off, you’ll need to keep your hands on the wheel just in case.
This is still relatively rare in the UK, even in new cars, but increasing in its use all the time.
Level 3: partial automation / “eyes off”
At Level 3, you can watch a movie or play on your phone (if you’re feeling that brave). The vehicle will make decisions by itself, such as when to slow down, and perform manoeuvres like an emergency stop.
In a true plot twist, the car will tell you when to intervene, based on specifications from the manufacturer. The 2018 Audi A8 Luxury Sedan, for example, includes a Traffic Jam Pilot that offers Level 3 automation in slow-moving traffic (under 37mph/60kmh). This currently only works on highways with physical barriers separating it from oncoming traffic.
This technology exists and is available on (very few) production cars, but its use is not yet legal in the UK.
Level 4: high automation / “mind off”
Level 4 one-ups Level 3 by letting you go to sleep or leave the driver’s seat while the vehicle is in motion. This sort of self-driving car is either geofenced (strictly limited to certain areas) or reserved for special circumstances like traffic jams.
Should Level 4 self-driving cars leave these areas, they’d need to be able to safely park without a human driver.
As it’s still in development, this level of automation is not yet legal or used on the public highway anywhere in the world.
Level 5: full automation / “steering wheel optional”
Robot taxis. Fully automated, probably lacking steering wheels, pedals or other controls for us mere mortals to use. As with Level 4, it's still in development and so not yet legal on roads.
There are currently six levels of automation, based on the amount of human attention and intervention required when driving.
Level 0: no automation
Level 0 vehicles don’t tend to have any automated features. There may be an automated system that issues warnings, but you’ll have to do the work.
In the UK, this accounts for most cars older than around five years old.
Level 1: driver assistance / “hands on”
At Level 1, you share some control of the car with an automated system but are expected to do the bulk of the driving and retake control at any moment. Examples of Level 1 automation include adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assistance and parking assistance.
There’s been widespread use of this technology in cars made in last 5 years.
Level 2: partial automation / “hands off”
At Level 2, the automated system takes control of accelerating, braking and steering. As a driver, you need to monitor the journey and be ready to retake control immediately. NB: even though it’s called hands off, you’ll need to keep your hands on the wheel just in case.
This is still relatively rare in the UK, even in new cars, but increasing in its use all the time.
Level 3: partial automation / “eyes off”
At Level 3, you can watch a movie or play on your phone (if you’re feeling that brave). The vehicle will make decisions by itself, such as when to slow down, and perform manoeuvres like an emergency stop.
In a true plot twist, the car will tell you when to intervene, based on specifications from the manufacturer. The 2018 Audi A8 Luxury Sedan, for example, includes a Traffic Jam Pilot that offers Level 3 automation in slow-moving traffic (under 37mph/60kmh). This currently only works on highways with physical barriers separating it from oncoming traffic.
This technology exists and is available on (very few) production cars, but its use is not yet legal in the UK.
Level 4: high automation / “mind off”
Level 4 one-ups Level 3 by letting you go to sleep or leave the driver’s seat while the vehicle is in motion. This sort of self-driving car is either geofenced (strictly limited to certain areas) or reserved for special circumstances like traffic jams.
Should Level 4 self-driving cars leave these areas, they’d need to be able to safely park without a human driver.
As it’s still in development, this level of automation is not yet legal or used on the public highway anywhere in the world.
Level 5: full automation / “steering wheel optional”
Robot taxis. Fully automated, probably lacking steering wheels, pedals or other controls for us mere mortals to use. As with Level 4, it's still in development and so not yet legal on roads.
How does a self-driving car work?
Self-driving cars use three types of technology to get around. They are:
Sensors. Navigation in a self-driving cars is made possible due to a combination of radar, camera, LIDAR (similar to radar, it uses light from a laser in its detection system), blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning and ultrasonic.
Connectivity. To better understand their surroundings, self-driving cars use cloud computing to understand (and thus act upon) map data, traffic data, weather, surface conditions and adjacent cars.
Software. This information is processed using control algorithms and software. Once the self-driving car has analysed this data it will decide on a course of action.
Sensors. Navigation in a self-driving cars is made possible due to a combination of radar, camera, LIDAR (similar to radar, it uses light from a laser in its detection system), blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning and ultrasonic.
Connectivity. To better understand their surroundings, self-driving cars use cloud computing to understand (and thus act upon) map data, traffic data, weather, surface conditions and adjacent cars.
Software. This information is processed using control algorithms and software. Once the self-driving car has analysed this data it will decide on a course of action.
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