Intelligent automated driving technologies continue to advance; however, these systems rely heavily on sensors. These sensors have limitations such as blind spots and struggling to operate well in bad weather such as snow, sleet, and fog. So, how can you make intelligent automated driving systems safer and more efficient? One solution is location data and leading vehicle organizations are deeply relying on it. Better detailed location data can help make quick automated driving systems become more conscious of an automobile’s overall environment, improving driver safety and awareness. So, how is the intelligent automation automotive industry embracing the future with location technology? This blog will answer that question and a whole lot more so let’s dive right in…

What is ADAS?

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are the fastest growing technology division in the motorized market. According to Design News, the market share is expected to expand from $30bn to more than $100bn in the next few years alone. A staggering ascent and for good reason. ADAS has a wide range of abilities including lane departure warning, emergency braking and blind spot detection to name just a few. These abilities have considerably enriched human protection and the driving experience. Automotive companies are already implementing and selling semi-automated ADAS (also known as S-ADAS) in vehicles with General Motors, Volvo and Tesla leading the way for consumers to purchase and buy self-driving vehicles in showrooms now.

Artificial Intelligence

One of the key factors for ADAS and S-ADAS to work efficiently and resourcefully is artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Both technologies need a huge amount of data to execute at an optimal level vs a conventional package. According to a whitepaper from Cambridge Consultants –

“AI technologies vastly outperform traditional software techniques when it comes to real-time perception, prediction, and decision-making tasks. As future ADAS systems tackle more complex self-driving scenarios, even more AI will be required.”

A big constraint for companies, and consumers alike, is budget and cost. A quick search for a Tesla Model X and it is over $112k for the brand-new base car. With the optional extras, that price could add $1000s to the final price. According to Forbes, last year the average “new car” price was $45,031. That has more than double if compared to the aforementioned Model X. The ADAS systems rely “on powerful AI-enabled compute platforms, which are only available from a small number of vendors, and require high-bandwidth, low-latency vehicle networks to carry large volumes of sensor data to the central compute module,” which takes a huge amount of financial investment to run and maintain.

During a recent Meet the Boss roundtable, in partnership with a multinational PaaS organization, the topic of location intelligent automation and ADAS adoption was debated. The roundtable had representation from a wide range of worldwide businesses including a large trucking company, a global vehicle supplier, and an automotive technology supplier amongst others. They believed that despite the popularity of Apple and Google Maps – Waze is the best public navigation app. However, many claimed that it needs to be automated as it can be distracting to the driver due to the app being powered by users. On its official Help page it states that – “The easiest way to improve Waze is just to drive around with Waze open on your screen. Even if you aren’t using Waze to navigate, just open it. You don’t have to do anything. The more people drive with Waze open, the better the navigation.” Having this crowd sourced approach is clearly working as it is the second most downloaded mapping app in the US behind Google Maps. They also said that sorting vast amounts of data in real time takes a huge quantity of processing power and that an alignment of standards needs to be set soon.

The Future.

What does the potential mode of transport look like for our global roads, streets, and highways? Edzard Overbeek, CEO of HERE Technologies, spoke at CES 2022 and he said that “the waves of innovation flowing through the global automotive industry have delivered remarkable advancements in connected, electric and automated vehicle technologies.” Such an exciting industry to be in now – so  watch this space! For further reading, Plato Pathrose has written a brilliant book titled “ADAS and Automated Driving” which is available from all good bookstores and online.