The Autonomous Vehicle: From Sci-fi To Reality development Posted on : Aug 08 - 2018

We have seen many futuristic self-driving cars on the silver screen. From the Lexus 2054, that was part of a computer-controlled

mass transit system with self-cleaning and color changing features (in the Minority Report), to the self-driving Chevrolets (in “The 6th Day”); these cars are finally moving into the real world.

The actual growth of the autonomous driving (AD) market began in 2011 when level 1 automation (Advance Adaptive Cruise Control) was introduced and the industry moved to “feet off” stage. In 2015/16, semi-automated level 2 “hands-off” capabilities were introduced. Now we have recently seen the introduction of a level 3 “eyes-off” vehicles when Audi launched the first highly automated car, with all the necessary systems for hands-off highway driving, and a long-range LiDAR for eyes-off capabilities.

These level 3 (L3) vehicles are becoming the turning point for technology testing, opening the gateway to mass-market adoption of automated technology. We expect 2018 to be the year of L3-automated vehicles for highway use, level 4 (L4) testing, and implementation of autonomous vehicles for limited, controlled and well-defined scenarios.

Many OEMs are preparing and developing prototypes for L4 capabilities—a fully automated vehicle where the driver can take his attention off. However, development of level 5 capabilities—a completely autonomous vehicle where the driver will become just a passenger—will still take more than a decade to become reality.

Autonomous Vehicles And Dubai

When talking about autonomous vehicles, Dubai cannot be missed out. The emirate is gearing up to become the autonomous driving capital of the world. The Dubai Future Foundation has already developed an Autonomous Transportation Strategy, which is expected to bring in nearly $6 billion in annual economic revenues in several sectors by reducing transportation costs, carbon emissions and accidents, and raising the productivity of individuals as well as saving hundreds of millions of hours wasted in conventional transportation.

It will also help to cut transportation costs by 44%, resulting in savings of up to $245 million a year. It will help save $408 million a year by reducing environmental pollution by 12%. And it will generate nearly $9 billion in annual economic returns by increasing the efficiency of the transportation sector in Dubai and making up to 25% of daily transportation self-driven by 2030. View More