Transportation revolution: Autonomous vehicle development, part 2

In the final episode of the Future Car series on the transportation revolution, Nand and I take a closer look at autonomous vehicle development around the automotive industry. In this episode, we learn about the dynamics of autonomous vehicle development, and how they may fit into transportation systems in the future. Nand also provides deeper insights on AV verification, testing, validation, and how confidence in this new technology is created among consumers and companies.

Verification and validation of self-driving systems continues to be one of the most daunting challenges for companies on the road to full autonomy. There are practically infinite unique situations an autonomous vehicle may encounter on real roads, especially when sharing them with human drivers. While no approach can account for all of these, using a combination of simulation and real world testing has become an important strategy for ensuring the safety and reliability of self-driving systems. Such an approach allows automakers to test their systems under a much greater number of scenarios for a fraction of the cost and time required to perform physical tests.

You’ll also learn about the primary ways companies are pushing the boundaries of AV development in order to move the technology forward, and where that intersects with regulations and legislation. This discussion includes a sneak peek of how autonomy might alter the urban experience as we get closer to the future of autonomous vehicle utilization.

Taking it all into consideration, there is clearly a long road ahead for those aiming at the goal of truly self-driving vehicles. But, as a point of encouragement, those people are not alone on this road. By working together with partners both within the automotive industry and beyond it, we can make the most of our time and effort, and step ever closer to the future.

You can listen to the episode below. Next, Nand and I will be moving on to talk about the changes in automotive product development and how model-based systems engineering is becoming a critical capability. Thanks again for listening!

Autonomous Vehicle Development: Part 2

As the pace of autonomous technology brings us ever closer to a new era of transportation, the future is closer than we think. Every level of preparation and adaptation related to getting autonomous vehicles road-ready must be mapped out. This includes safety vetting through high-level testing and certification processes, a better understanding of autonomous technology on behalf of consumers, and updates to regulation and legislation. 

Once again I’m joined by Nand Kochhar, the Vice President of Automotive and Transportation Industry at Siemens Digital Industries Software. With his industry expertise, he’ll provide deeper insight on the various levels of autonomy, their definitions, and where we’re currently at on the autonomy spectrum with today’s technology. 

In this episode, we’ll also discuss AV verification, testing, validation, and how confidence in this new technology is created among consumers and companies. You’ll learn the four primary ways companies are pushing the boundaries of AV development in order to move the technology forward, and where that intersects with regulations and legislation. You’ll also get a sneak peek of how autonomy might alter the urban experience as we get closer to the future of autonomous vehicle utilization. 

Some Questions I Ask:

  • How can passengers and companies be confident that vehicles are able to perform safely and comfortably? (5:51)
  • Is the amount of physical and virtual testing happening at the same level? (9:23)
  • What are the effects of new regulations on the future of vehicle validation and certification? (11:53)
  • What’s the impetus behind the partnerships that have formed among industry competitors? (21:40)
  • What are the values and challenges of remote monitoring? (34:36)
  • How are business challenges accelerating or holding back emerging trends of autonomy? (40:05)
  • How critical are autonomous vehicles to the mobility-as-a-service concept? (44:14)

In This Episode You Will Learn:

  • The five levels of vehicle autonomy and how they’re defined (1:08)
  • Understanding the vehicle components and how they relate to one another (13:46)
  • The physics based simulation model (17:42)
  • How we can push the boundaries of autonomy and continue to develop the technology (29:19)
  • How society as a whole can prepare for an autonomous future (32:31)
  • Securing the autonomous framework (36:20)
  • How AV’s navigate cities (41:32)

Let’s Connect!

Connect With Nand Kochhar:

Conor Peick - Thought Leadership Writer

Conor Peick – Thought Leadership Writer

Conor works as a writer covering Automotive and Transportation topics for Siemens Digital Industries Software. In this role, he has helped produce a variety of materials including blogs, articles and whitepapers on automotive topics ranging from wire harness design and manufacturing to embedded software development and overall industry trends.

The Future Car Podcast Podcast

The Future Car Podcast

The tech-driven disruption of the auto industry cuts across domains, from silicon and software to sensors and AI to smart traffic management and mobility services. Get the chip- to city-scale story in regular interviews with technologists at Siemens and beyond.

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This article first appeared on the Siemens Digital Industries Software blog at https://blogs.sw.siemens.com/podcasts/the-future-car/transportation-revolution-autonomous-vehicle-development-part-2/