Self-driving cars

The dream of the self-driving car — you get in, program your destination, ease the seat back, and let the car take you where you need to go. Read a book. Maybe take a nap or play a game on the in-car entertainment screen. Regardless, you will not need to watch the road. The car will get you there and back safely.

Are we there yet? If not, when will we be? Automation and autonomous driving are complex subjects. What engineers can safely deliver doesn’t always match what marketers want to sell. This guide will walk you through what you need to know about automotive autopilot, self-driving technology, and driver aids today and tomorrow.

When discussing automotive assistance systems’ terminology, no one agrees on what to call anything in this field. From engineering jargon to marketing speak, the lingo continues to evolve.

Roughly speaking, you can sort the technologies people might refer to as self-driving into two categories — driver support and automation systems. Driver support technology reduces the workload on the driver. Today, most automakers sell various driver support systems, either as standard equipment or as options on their cars. These include intelligent or adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assists, and hands-free capability.

Autonomous systems do the driving for you. No automaker today sells a true autonomous system, but some are pushing toward that technology. One such project underway is Waymo, a sister company to Google, that is testing autonomous rideshare vehicles in Phoenix using converted Chrysler Pacifica minivans.

Virtually every automaker selling cars in the U.S. today offers driver-assistance systems that can reduce the workload on the driver. These include adaptive cruise control that can adjust speed to maintain distance from the car ahead or automatic emergency braking that can slow or stop the car to avoid hitting a vehicle or pedestrian or reduce the severity of a crash. None of these systems are so reliable that the driver can take their attention from the task of driving, though. Many manufacturers currently market systems up to and including Level 2 automation. This approach combines adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist into a system that requires that the driver keep their hands on the wheel but relieves some of the driver’s workload. A prime example is cruise control with stop-and-go capability that allows the driver to negotiate heavy traffic without using the pedals.

While you may be able to own a self-driving car in your lifetime, it may be further away than advancing technology would indicate.

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