The State of Self-Driving Cars: Autonomous Advances

[JustPlainDan]

Significant advances have been made in the technology that powers self-driving cars in the last decade, but there's still further to go. We dive into the current state of self-driving cars in 2023.

Permalink to review.

https://www.techspot.com/article/2644-the-state-of-self-driving-cars/

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Your challenges section is incomplete. It makes 0 mention of the weather.

Snow, heavy rain, dirt, these things easily cover sensors. Any self driving car will have this issue, and unless the laws of physics can be bent it will always be an issue. Notice most self driving testing is in Arizona and the like? There is a reason for that.

Look at railroads. They run on dedicated tracks, they cant steer themselves, and everything is run on schedule. They even have radio communication at all times. They are not automated due to safety issues. If they cannot safety automate trains, they will NEVER manage cars, which have two axis of movement and far more complicated operating standards.

 

[fps4ever]

Self driving car might be better driving in snow but how does the car interrupt their surroundings when everything is white around them? This is why I think Telsa's camera/AI choice is a dead end. You need multiple control systems like in the article, if nothing else for safety reasons.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Self driving car might be better driving in snow but how does the car interrupt their surroundings when everything is white around them? This is why I think Telsa's camera/AI choice is a dead end. You need multiple control systems like in the article, if nothing else for safety reasons.

AI is going to have major issues in snow, because AI is reactive, not proactive. It's not smart enough to anticipate future issues and slow down ahead of time like humans can.

In proper snow, the automated AWD systems are also completely useless. Constantly cutting power trying to maintain traction is not how you deal with snow.

 

[jwdR311]

You missed an issue...the dreaded bug splat.

 

[BobDolesGhost]

(Tesla) AutoPilot also includes technology that automatically changes lanes when prompted by the driver

Vanilla Auto Pilot does not do lane changes in any circumstances FYI. You have to pay extra for Enhanced Auto Pilot($6k) or Full Self Driving packages for that feature($15k I think now). Even $6k is too much for that imo, though EAP adds "Summon, Smart Summon, Auto Park, and Navigate on AP" - the lane change feature is the only 1 that is most regularly used. Maybe 1 day the others will work well, but not now

 

[kira setsu]

None of those cars are self-driving and the term shouldn't be used with them, if anything they're advanced driver assist systems.

it's going to be a long long damn time before "self-driving" cars are an actual thing, imho the current state of them seems to be in the "that's a cool trick" territory, if anything we've just put in systems that may actually hinder emergency situations.

you have systems that pretty much lull the driver into not caring as much as they should, then want them to intervene and act normally and on-point if something bad happens...that's called a trap.

Until I can buy a car and can just sit in the backseat of it or whatever playing on a switch3 or just fall asleep, pretty much when it gets to the point that we don't need to give a s**t it can be labeled self driving.

 

[p51d007]

The only self driving I do, is cruise control and that is only on a freeway/toll/interstate.

 

[QuasiLee]

None of those cars are self-driving and the term shouldn't be used with them, if anything they're advanced driver assist systems.

it's going to be a long long damn time before "self-driving" cars are an actual thing, imho the current state of them seems to be in the "that's a cool trick" territory, if anything we've just put in systems that may actually hinder emergency situations.

you have systems that pretty much lull the driver into not caring as much as they should, then want them to intervene and act normally and on-point if something bad happens...that's called a trap.

Until I can buy a car and can just sit in the backseat of it or whatever playing on a switch3 or just fall asleep, pretty much when it gets to the point that we don't need to give a s**t it can be labeled self driving.

You obviously haven't tried it. I have a Tesla and it is great for trips. I arrive at my destination much less fatigued as the car does all the little adjustments keeping you in the lane and passing slow cars etc. You have to experience it to know what I am talking about, it makes trips so much easier. Not to mention the piece of mind I have when my wife drives, who isn't the best driver. I also use it on my 50 min drive to work and I can relax and eat while the car drives me. It is a game changer, even at its current state!

 

[Arbie]

Great article; thanks!

 

[netman]

I still don't understand the concept of Self Driving Cars...!

If you Do want to drive a car for the sheer enjoyment of driving, buy a car, or a sports car if you can afford it...!

If you Don't want to drive a car, buy a Limousine and hire a chauffeur to Drive You Around...!

 

[Theinsanegamer]

You obviously haven't tried it. I have a Tesla and it is great for trips. I arrive at my destination much less fatigued as the car does all the little adjustments keeping you in the lane and passing slow cars etc. You have to experience it to know what I am talking about, it makes trips so much easier. Not to mention the piece of mind I have when my wife drives, who isn't the best driver. I also use it on my 50 min drive to work and I can relax and eat while the car drives me. It is a game changer, even at its current state!

Funny, my extended family have several GMs and Fords with "enhanced self driving" systems, and they never shut up about how much they HATE them. My favorite story was the one about an escalade that would sway back and forth in a highway lane, making everyone carsick, jumping the moment it saw the painted lines. Or the one where she was used to the car fighting her when she did lane adjustment, then in the snow found out the system had turned off (because the sensor had snow on it) and she nearly nailed a concrete barrier in the overcorrection.

Not to mention how ENORMOUSLY expensive these systems are to fix. Say hello to $5k bumpers and 6-8 week repair times.

 

[Aus spot]

Don’t know if missing from american models, but my 2017 honda has active lane keeping and adaptive cruise control working together making it level 2. I would not say it is great, but assists in long fairly straight drives.

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

None of those cars are self-driving and the term shouldn't be used with them, if anything they're advanced driver assist systems.

it's going to be a long long damn time before "self-driving" cars are an actual thing, imho the current state of them seems to be in the "that's a cool trick" territory, if anything we've just put in systems that may actually hinder emergency situations.

you have systems that pretty much lull the driver into not caring as much as they should, then want them to intervene and act normally and on-point if something bad happens...that's called a trap.

Until I can buy a car and can just sit in the backseat of it or whatever playing on a switch3 or just fall asleep, pretty much when it gets to the point that we don't need to give a s**t it can be labeled self driving.

Agreed. The only things that can be evaluated in the self-driving category is software under active development. But even that is impossible because most automakers don’t showcase this, and when they do it’s under controlled circumstances. Plus since none of them are complete, they all get a failing grade because they would crash without a human driver.

None of the self-driving software under development was even mentioned in this article. For instance, I’m pretty sure Autopilot hasn’t been under active development for years. They have something else called FSD Beta that is purchasable and delivered to customers, but that is also a level 2 system because it’s not ready without a supervising human driver. It doesn’t use any of the same software as Autopilot as far as I know (“V11” severs the Highway Autopilot code completely).

 

[sreams]

"The confusion has resulted in several fatal accidents"

I'd love to see even a single example where a driver's misuse of Autopilot which resulted in a fatal accident was due to them thinking it was a full self driving system. Until then, let's avoid the conjecture.

The first autopilot systems for aircraft did very little (less than Tesla's system). But somehow, no pilot was ever confused about what it could and could not do.

BTW... the last image in the "Tesla Autopilot" section of the article shows the Full Self Driving Beta, not Autopilot.

 

[Zsoltblabla]

Why is X-Motors not mentioned?

 

[ddferrari]

Funny, my extended family have several GMs and Fords with "enhanced self driving" systems, and they never shut up about how much they HATE them. My favorite story was the one about an escalade that would sway back and forth in a highway lane, making everyone carsick, jumping the moment it saw the painted lines. Or the one where she was used to the car fighting her when she did lane adjustment, then in the snow found out the system had turned off (because the sensor had snow on it) and she nearly nailed a concrete barrier in the overcorrection.

Not to mention how ENORMOUSLY expensive these systems are to fix. Say hello to $5k bumpers and 6-8 week repair times.

It sounds to me like they have developed an inferior system. My 2022 Hyundai Sonata SEL stays dead center in my lane at all times, and the adaptive cruise control will come to a full stop on a dime if needed. It warns me if I try to change lanes when someone is in my blind spot and pulls me back into my current lane.

It also allows me to take my foot off the brake at stoplights, trains, etc. The difference is (versus putting it in park) the brake lights stay on. I drive hands-free all the time on uncrowded highways when making long trips, and just have to touch the wheel now and then to let it know I haven't dozed off or it will alert me. Of course, I always pay attention and my hand is inches from the wheel at all times. This tech greatly reduces driver fatigue on long trips.

BTW- one should NEVER use any speed-assistance like cruise control in potentially slippery conditions. Hit one slick patch and you could wind up in the ditch, or worse. I'm not sure about the other tech out there, but I can easily turn off all these features (minus the blind-spot warnings) with the push of a button on the steering wheel. There are clear indicators near the speedometer that show when the tech is engaged, or has disengaged itself for any reason.

I wouldn't buy another car without it. Also, I will never set foot in a completely self-driving car for two reasons: I refuse to fully entrust my life to technology, and I enjoy driving too much.

 

[Hodor]

I still don't understand the concept of Self Driving Cars...!
If you Do want to drive a car for the sheer enjoyment of driving, buy a car, or a sports car if you can afford it...!
If you Don't want to drive a car, buy a Limousine and hire a chauffeur to Drive You Around...!

The goal of self-driving cars is that they don't want you to own a car. They want robo-taxis that will drive people around, inside a 10-minute or 15-minute radius. Some cities have already introduced 15-minute zones, where people are allowed to visit only places that are within 15 minutes of driving from their home. That will shrink to 10 minutes.

The final goal is total lockdown, where people live their entire life within a 10-minute radius. They won't own homes or cars, they will be allowed to live as long as they are useful. So, electric car radius of 400 km is not a problem, since they are preparing us to live in a much smaller area.

Driving for fun? There won't be any such thing. Except..... if you're part of the elite. Then you'll have access to everything and travel everywhere.

 

[QuasiLee]

Funny, my extended family have several GMs and Fords with "enhanced self driving" systems, and they never shut up about how much they HATE them. My favorite story was the one about an escalade that would sway back and forth in a highway lane, making everyone carsick, jumping the moment it saw the painted lines. Or the one where she was used to the car fighting her when she did lane adjustment, then in the snow found out the system had turned off (because the sensor had snow on it) and she nearly nailed a concrete barrier in the overcorrection.

Not to mention how ENORMOUSLY expensive these systems are to fix. Say hello to $5k bumpers and 6-8 week repair times.

Try a Tesla. It is a very smooth ride in the center of the lane on auto. My family LOVES it. Sporty (Model 3 performance) and insanely fast and tight in turns when you want to have fun and drive it yourself. Chill and smooth when you want to relax on autopilot.

 

[joe1946]

"But, as defined within the SAE standard, a Level 3 system only operates when certain conditions come together. Drive Pilot won't exceed 45 mph speeds, must be during the day in clear weather, and only on roads mapped by the system. According to Mercedes' engineers, these aren't limitations of Drive Pilot's capabilities. Instead, restrictions were put in place by the German government. Generally available Level 3 self-driving cars are still a legal black hole. The Mercedes EQS EV is the only vehicle with Drive Pilot currently available."
Mercedes is a joke. Tesla is years ahead of them.

 

[axiomatic13]

I have the F-150 Lightning and can attest to how great Blue Criuse is. I don't want any more than that. It's a fantastic break on the highway where I can rest my arms and move my legs for a sec while looking down the road.

 

[PEnnn]

I still don't see the point of a self-driving car.

It would be a welcome function if one is driving hundreds of miles, especially at night. But since the system requires the driver to be awake, then what's the point exactly?

 

[ddferrari]

The goal of self-driving cars is that they don't want you to own a car. They want robo-taxis that will drive people around, inside a 10-minute or 15-minute radius. Some cities have already introduced 15-minute zones, where people are allowed to visit only places that are within 15 minutes of driving from their home. That will shrink to 10 minutes.

The final goal is total lockdown, where people live their entire life within a 10-minute radius. They won't own homes or cars, they will be allowed to live as long as they are useful. So, electric car radius of 400 km is not a problem, since they are preparing us to live in a much smaller area.

Driving for fun? There won't be any such thing. Except..... if you're part of the elite. Then you'll have access to everything and travel everywhere.

"The goal of self-driving cars is that they don't want you to own a car."

So... is that why major car companies are spending billions of dollars on this tech for the consumer market- so they WON'T buy one?

Sorry, but I think this theory needs a little more vetting.

 

[Hodor]

"The goal of self-driving cars is that they don't want you to own a car."

So... is that why major car companies are spending billions of dollars on this tech for the consumer market- so they WON'T buy one?

Sorry, but I think this theory needs a little more vetting.

For now they are selling them just like normal cars, because having a shorter range, long charging time and being very flammable is a drawback enough. But within 10 years this will change, a new big (artificial) crisis will cause shortages of fuel, then also shortages of electricity, and people will be forced to switch to public transportation. Which will consist of electric buses, trams, subways, trains, etc. for ordinary people, and electric taxis for the people who earn a bit more. Plus private jets, yachts, flying taxis, etc. for the ruling elite.

 

[ddferrari]

Flying taxis??