I. What is the difference between intelligent driving and autonomous driving?
Intelligent driving and autonomous driving are conceptually related yet distinct. The following is an introduction to their relationship:
(I) Definition of Concepts
1. Intelligent driving
Intelligent driving is a broader concept, referring to technologies that use machines to assist humans in driving, or, in special circumstances, completely replace human drivers.
Intelligent driving includes "single-vehicle" intelligent driving and "collaborative" intelligent driving. The former endows vehicles with the ability to drive autonomously through sensors such as cameras and radar, as well as efficient and accurate algorithms; the latter enables information interaction between vehicles and roadside, cloud, and other traffic participants (vehicles, people, etc.) through communication technology, combining vehicle information and interactive information to achieve collaborative intelligent driving.
Intelligent driving technology also includes various intelligent assistance functions, such as real-time monitoring of traffic conditions to provide the best driving route and speed suggestions, and automatic avoidance in emergencies, all aimed at improving driving safety and comfort.
2. Autonomous driving
Autonomous driving is an important component of intelligent driving technology. It refers to the ability of a vehicle to drive itself safely and automatically without human intervention, relying on the collaborative efforts of AI, vision, radar monitoring devices, and positioning systems.
Autonomous driving technology relies on advanced sensors, high-speed computer processors, navigation systems, and complex algorithms to perceive the surrounding environment, make decisions, and execute driving operations. Vehicles are typically equipped with multiple sensors such as radar, lidar, and cameras to acquire information, which is then processed and analyzed by complex algorithms to make correct driving decisions.
(II) Technical Grade Classification
Intelligent driving: Intelligent driving technology is usually divided into six levels from L0 to L5, which are defined from low to high as manual driving, assisted driving, partial autonomous driving, conditional driving, highly automated driving and fully automated driving.
Autonomous driving: Autonomous driving technology is usually referred to as autonomous driving starting from Level 3, which includes levels such as conditional autonomous driving, highly autonomous driving, and fully autonomous driving.
(III) Relationship Explanation
Inclusion relationship: Intelligent driving encompasses autonomous driving, which in turn includes driverless driving (i.e., machine driving without a driver, allowing all occupants of the vehicle to engage in other activities without monitoring). From a broader perspective, intelligent driving is a larger concept that covers both autonomous driving and a wider range of driver assistance functions.
Technological Convergence: Intelligent driving and autonomous driving are closely linked and convergent in terms of technology. For example, both rely on advanced sensors, algorithms, and computing power to perceive and make decisions about the surrounding environment. At the same time, both are committed to improving driving safety and comfort.
II. Firm Strategic Consensus on Intelligent Driving
On December 28, 2024, at the 17th China Industrial Forum, an in-depth discussion on "vehicle-road-cloud integration" was held at a roundtable forum themed "The Engine of the 'New' Era of Momentum".
At the conference, Shi Jianhua, deputy secretary-general of the China EV100, said that the entire industry should reach a firm strategic consensus on "vehicle-road-cloud integration", leverage the advantages of my country's system, coordinate the overall situation, continuously learn and iterate, and unite all parties to jointly promote the development of the industry.
Li Keqiang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, a professor at Tsinghua University, and the chief scientist of the National Intelligent Connected Vehicle Innovation Center, previously told Outlook Weekly: "Based on the advantages of my country's automotive industry and communication infrastructure, and on the basis of in-depth research on the bottleneck problem of single-vehicle intelligence and the advantages of industrial endowment, my country has proposed the technical route of the 'vehicle-road-cloud integration' Chinese solution."
Premier Li Keqiang believes that my country has unique advantages in developing an integrated vehicle-road-cloud system. First, my country is the world's largest new car market, providing abundant application scenarios and a huge market space for new technologies; second, my country has a leading advantage in core intelligent connected vehicle technologies such as 5G communication; and third, my country has significant advantages in infrastructure construction capabilities and institutional mechanisms.
In Li Keqiang's view, although the Chinese solution emphasizes compliance with Chinese infrastructure standards, network operation standards, and new system architecture automotive product standards, it is equally applicable in other countries, only requiring compliance with the "local standards" of the countries where it is implemented.
In 2016, China took the lead in releasing a roadmap for the development of intelligent connected vehicle technology based on "vehicle-road-cloud integration." Over the past decade, the "vehicle-road-cloud integration" technology path has gradually gained consensus in the industry. This path features a system architecture that integrates "vehicle, road, and cloud," as well as two technical characteristics: layered decoupling and cross-domain sharing. It also meets three conditions: my country's infrastructure standards, network operation standards, and new architecture vehicle product standards.
Against the backdrop of a firm consensus on the "vehicle-road-cloud integration" strategy, the commercial application of intelligent connected vehicles, primarily Robotaxi (driverless taxis), is accelerating.
