However, many videos in the past have reflected the "dangers" of autonomous driving. For example, some car companies, while "showing off" their technology, activated the so-called autonomous driving mode, had a person standing in front of them, and when the vehicle approached the person and reached a certain distance, the vehicle would automatically stop. As a result, some new cars embarrassed themselves on the spot: knocking down the person. There are quite a few such videos online.
Therefore, when consumers blindly trust manufacturers' claims, they should first listen to the experts' opinions. Are these mysterious advanced driver assistance technologies truly proprietary technologies of each car manufacturer? And if not?
While the concept of intelligent driving is gaining popularity in China, it is clearly lacking in core technologies. Academician Zhong Zhihua, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, stated in a recent speech that my country's intelligent vehicle industry chain is currently incomplete, and the accumulation of core technologies is insufficient. Although many domestic automakers have successively released models with advanced driver assistance technologies, their independent integration capabilities are weak, and many driver assistance features are mostly sourced from foreign suppliers.
The interpretation from AutoMinsheng.com is that Academician Zhong, as an expert in the field of intelligent driving and most familiar with the situation, made two points in his remarks: First, it highlights my country's shortcomings in advanced driver assistance technology, stemming from an incomplete industrial chain and insufficient accumulation of core technologies; second, it reveals the fact that most of the driver assistance features released by domestic automakers are purchased from abroad. Therefore, many manufacturers are heavily promoting their so-called autonomous driving technology, but much of it is self-promotion; they don't actually possess the capabilities and are simply applying others' technology to their own vehicles.
We know that what is currently called "autonomous driving" is actually more like a driver assistance system, and it is still a long way from true driverless driving. It primarily reduces driver workload and improves driving efficiency. Internationally, autonomous driving has long been classified into levels, and vehicles must reach Level 5 to be considered truly autonomous.
Autonomous driving levels 1-5:
Level 1: Liberation Foot
Level 2: Free Hands
Level 3: Liberate your eyes
Level 4: Liberating Attention
Level 5: Autonomous driving
To achieve true driverless driving, there are currently three main problems:
First, there are technical issues.
Currently, many products with autonomous driving capabilities can only be used in specific scenarios, such as logistics parks, mines, garbage recycling stations, sugarcane fields, or testing grounds. Real-world road environments, such as highways and urban roads, are far more complex.
Autonomous driving still faces significant challenges, and the primary task is to achieve technological breakthroughs.
Secondly, in addition to technological challenges, autonomous driving still faces legal risks.
For example, while different countries do not oppose testing autonomous driving, their regulations vary drastically. Germany requires a following distance of 50 meters between vehicles in a convoy, while in the Netherlands it's a 3-second distance, and some countries even state that "safety is paramount." Therefore, the lack of uniformity in laws and regulations is one of the obstacles to the future development of autonomous driving.
Regarding the current conflict between intelligent vehicles and existing traffic regulations, Academician Zhong stated that, in terms of standard setting, my country's current standard system and core product standards are not yet sound, and the decision-making power for standard setting is dispersed among multiple different departments such as automobiles, transportation, and communications. Therefore, relevant standards and regulations for intelligent vehicles in China still need further improvement, but it is also necessary to strike a balance. Setting standards and regulations too early will restrict innovation, but setting them too late may also hinder innovation.
Third, there is also pressure regarding social acceptance.
We know that advanced autopilot technology has been available on airplanes for many years, but who would dare to board a plane without a pilot? For drivers, is it really possible to completely trust the vehicle's own judgment and relinquish control? For the general public, is it really acceptable to see cars on the road driving autonomously? If autonomous driving fails, the resulting problems will inevitably become social issues, affecting everyone's travel safety.
Zhong Zhihua stated that, overall, the current development of intelligent vehicles is showing four major trends: First, intelligent vehicles driving on ordinary roads are focusing on mass production; second, the travel sector has become the starting point for competition in intelligent vehicles; third, mining/port transportation and industrial park logistics based on high-level autonomous driving are becoming the focus of competition in the commercial vehicle market; and fourth, cooperation and collaboration will become a new trend in the development of intelligent vehicle assemblies.
Therefore, no matter from which perspective we examine the integration of autonomous driving into people's daily lives, it will be subject to different constraints and obstacles. Thus, there is still a long way to go before we can fully realize an autonomous driving society.
