Level 3 autonomous cars such as Volvo’s all-electric SUV is being tested in sunny California with plans to ship in 2023 – IF and that is a BIG IF, all things go as planned. Level 3 autonomous vehicles require the driver be ready to take over at all times.
Tim De Chant writing for ARS Technica explains the challenges that Volvo and others are facing in gaining Level 3 status in the following excerpt of his detailed article.
“At the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show yesterday, Volvo announced that it intends to offer its Ride Pilot feature to customers in California, pending regulatory approval. The automaker has been testing the system in Sweden, and it will begin testing in California later this year. It plans to ship the feature with its forthcoming all-electric SUV, due in 2023.
Volvo chose California because “the climate, traffic conditions, and regulatory framework provide a favorable environment for the introduction of autonomous driving,” the company said.
The system will enable drivers to direct their attention to tasks other than driving, though they’ll still need to be prepared to take over when the vehicle requests intervention. What kind of tasks? Volvo mentions reading, writing, and working in its press release, but napping appears to be out of the question for now.
“We’re still being very purposely non-distinct in the wake-up time that we require,” Henrik Green, Volvo’s chief technology officer, told The Verge. “Taking a nap requires a wake-up time, so let’s see how far and when we can get there. You need to be able to assume control in a certain time and take back the driving responsibility.”
It’s unclear how Volvo will distinguish between a driver who is napping and one who is reading. Eye-tracking cameras are the most likely solution since nagging the driver periodically would defeat the purpose of Level 3 autonomy. We’ve reached out to Volvo for clarification.”
For the complete story CLICK HERE.
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