Automated Vehicles:

What’s Coming

Tim Johnson, Director, NHTSA Vehicle Research and Test Center

June 11, 2020

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INJURY MITIGATION MEDICAL ATTENTION

HUMAN / PRE - EVENT

SEVERITY REDUCTIONPREVENTION

Volvo forward collision warning

New Technologies and The Crash Timeline

“Driver Assist” Technologies

Levels of Driving Automation Systems

Level 0

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

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Level 5

No driving automation

Sustainedlateral orlongitudinal control, but not both

Sustained lateral and longitudinal control• Driver responsible for supervising and remaining engaged in the driving task

ADS system performs all driving tasks • Driver expected for ADS system takeover requests (safe fallback)• Operational domain limited

ADS system responsible for vehicle operation (driving tasks and safe fallback)• Operational domain limited

Same as L4 but operates EVERYWHERE

Summary of levels of driving automation(SAE J3016)

Automated Driving Systems (ADS)

Human (or cargo) is RIDING

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)

Human is DRIVING

Also commonly referred to as Advanced Driver

Assistance Systems (ADAS)

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Level 0

No sustained lateral or longitudinal control Examples:• Electronic Stability Control (ESC)• Crash warning systems (FCW, LDW) • Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB)• Pedestrian AEB (PAEB)• Rear Visibility/Rear Auto Braking• Blind Spot Warning/Intervention• Head on Collision Alert• Intersection/Cross Traffic Alert

All available in production

vehicles

Active Safety Systems

Electronic Stability Control

• Yaw and Lateral

Acceleration Sensors

• Loss of Control and

Rollover Crashes

• Light Vehicle:

– Prevent crashes due to

loss of control

‒ Mandated via FMVSS 126

• Heavy Vehicle

– Mandated via FMVSS 136

for tractor semi trailers

and motorcoaches

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Continental Automotive Systems USA

Forward Crash Warning and Auto Braking

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• Radar and Camera Sensors

• Provides warnings to drivers

based on closure rates between

vehicles—and can apply brakes

automatically if driver does

not react.

• Audio, visual, and haptic

warnings

• Forward Crash Warning (FCW),

Dynamic Brake Support (DBS),

Crash Imminent Braking (CIB)

(AEB)

Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB)

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• Dynamic Brake Support (LV only)– Supplements the vehicle’s brake output

when the system believes that the driver has not applied enough brake pedal force (66% of LV rear-end crashes)

• Crash Imminent Braking (LV and HV) – Applies the vehicle’s brakes when the

driver makes no avoidance attempt (33% of LV rear-end crashes)

• Agency Actions– Voluntary agreement with LV

automakers– LV AEB included in the agency’s NCAP

program

Pedestrian Detection Systems

• Pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking (PAEB)

– Radar and Camera Sensors

– Systems sense a potential pedestrian collision and apply automatic emergency braking

• NHTSA activities:

– Safety benefit estimates

– DRAFT research test procedure developed

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Scenario Cases % All Costs Fatalities

Crossing path 24,000 51% 2,100

Right turn 5,100 2% 39

Left turn 14,500 7% 100

Parallel paths 13,000 31% 1,300

Rear Visibility and Backing Crash Avoidance

• Rear Visibility Systems:

– Camera Sensors

– Final regulation issued for LVs

(all LV by 2018)

• Rear Automatic Braking Technology

– Camera/radar sensors

– Limited market penetration

– NHTSA activities:

• DRAFT research test procedure developed

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Lane Departure Warning/Lane Keeping Assist

• Video camera technology detects lane markings and warns driver of unintentional lane

drift. Some systems add slight brake torque or steering assist

• Technology is commercialized in both the light and heavy duty sectors

• Agency actions – LDW included in New Car Assessment Program (NCAP)

• Emerging: Lane Centering Assist (typically packaged with steering/braking control)

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Blind Spot Warning

• Blind Spot Warning (and Monitoring):

–LV: typically radar-based, warns the driver of another vehicle in, or

approaching, the blind spot

• Developed a DRAFT research test procedure

–HV: Various systems

• Camera and radar-based systems tested by NHTSA

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Blind Spot Inter vention

• An active version of blind

spot warning

• Functions when the driver is

making a lane change

• Presently has limited market

penetration

• Safely performing test track

evaluations requires use of a

realistic 3D surrogate POV

• Developed DRAFT research

test procedure

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Intersection and Head-On Collision Prevention

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• Relatively new, very limited market

penetration

• DRAFT research test procedures developed

• Research/testing continuing

SV

POV

Head on Collision Prevention

Side Visibility

• FMVSS 111 requires that cars be

equipped with “inside” and “outside

rearview mirrors” to provide a clear

rear view having certain specs

• Camera-based side-visibility systems are

an alternative to outside mirrors being

considered by industry

– Recently permitted in Japan, Europe

• NHTSA activities:

– Examined prototype camera-based

system performance in various

lighting and weather conditions

– Reviewing related ISO and ECE

standards

– Examining driver acclimation issues

relating to display location, focus

issues

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VW prototype system installed on an Audi A4

Driving Automation Systems – L1

• L1: Not many different types of L1 systems in the

market (typically steering/braking/accelerator control

integrated together to form L2)

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Level 1

Sustainedlateral or longitudinal control, but not bothe.g.• Adaptive Cruise

Control (ACC)• Truck Platooning

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Adaptive Cruise Control

SAE L1 Truck Platooning

- Manual steering

- Automated distance control

Driving Automation Systems – L1

Driving Automation Systems – L2

• An increasing number of L2 systems currently offered

on production vehicles

• Three main categories of L2 systems

– Highway Driving Assist

– Traffic Jam Assist (lower speed scenarios)

– Self Parking

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Level 2

Sustained lateral and longitudinal control• Driver responsible for supervising and remaining engaged in the driving task

Park Assist

• Operational Design Domain (ODD)

– Expected operating domain is low speed, object rich environments

such as parking lots and residential roads

• Requirements for this type of system are based on:

– System capability

– Governing safety principles

• DRAFT research test

procedure developed

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Driving Automation Systems – L2

• Operation Design Domain (ODD)

– TJA refers to low speed automation that allows the vehicle to operate

in autonomous mode at speeds lower than 25 mph.

– Different systems have different requirements to satisfy their

respective ODDs.

– DRAFT research test procedure developed

Vehicles Tested:

Traffic Jam Assist

2017 Mercedes E300 2017 Tesla 90D 2017 Volvo S90

Driving Automation Systems – L2

Highway Driving Assist

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Driving Automation Systems – L2

• Operational Design Domain– Highway speeds/environments

– Real world operation can differ significantly,

especially curve-based operation and where the

systems can be used (operating domain).

• Models with Highway Driving Assist type

systems include:

2015 Mercedes C300

2015 Tesla Model S

2014 Infiniti Q50

2016 Volvo XC90

2018 Cadillac CT6

Automated Driving Systems - ADS (L3, L4, L5)

• ADS = Subset of Driving Automation Systems

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Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

ADS system performs all driving tasks • Driver expected for ADS system takeover requests (safe fallback)• Operational domain limited• Systems in development

ADS system responsible for vehicle operation (driving tasks and safe fallback)• Operational domain limited• e.g. low speed passenger shuttles, delivery vehicles, additional L4 systems in development

Same as L4 but operates EVERYWHERE

• Potential to reduce crashes

due to driver errors and

poor choices

• Technology

‒ Combination of several sensor

and data technologies likely

‒ LIDAR (e.g. Velodyne)

‒ Radar, Camera, Communications, Digital Maps

• NHTSA research activities include:

‒ Reviewing existing standards relative to ADS

‒ Researching new tools, methods, and metrics to test ADS systems

‒ Research/test available technology (e.g. low speed shuttles)

‒ Human factors

‒ Crashworthiness for alternative designs

Automated Driving Systems (ADS)

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Automated Driving Systems (ADS)

3D Surrogate Vehicle

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Simulation Automated controllers

Testing Advanced Tech

Future Vision: The Vehicle That Doesn’t Crash

Combination of Sensing Technologies

Enables 360 degree awareness around the vehicle

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Thanks for your Attention!• Contact Information

– Tim Johnson, NHTSA

– Ph: 937-666-3310

– E-mail: tim.johnson@dot.gov

– www.nhtsa.gov

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