Role of Electronics in Autonomous Vehicles 18ELB373

ROLE OF ELECTRONICS IN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

COLLOQUIUM REPORT
ELC-4810

SUBMITTED BY:
NAME: - RAJAT VARSHNEY
FACULTY NO: - 18ELB373
SERIAL NO: - 45
ENROLLMENT NO: -GK9239
EMAIL ID- rajatyo1862000@gmail.com

Under Guidance Of:

Supervisor
Dr. SAMAR ANSARI

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

ZAKIR HUSAIN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY
ALIGARH-202002 (INDIA)
NOVEMBER, 2021

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Role of Electronics in Autonomous Vehicles 18ELB373

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First of all, I would like to express deepest gratitude to my supervisor Dr. Samar Ansari for his
inspiration and encouragement in the successful completion of this work. He has always been
cordial, attentive, responsible and supportive throughout all the highs and lows during the journey
of colloquium. Irrespective of all the odds, he invested a lot of his time for Colloquium, giving
valuable inputs and took great pains to see me through. I have learnt a lot from him and I humbly
acknowledge a lifetime deep gratitude to them. He devoted his time and patience to the reading
and correction of this colloquium report. I am also thankful to him for providing us guidance and
sparing time for technical discussions at various stages of our work. I am grateful to Dr. Naushad
Alam, Associate professor and Colloquium In charge for guiding us through various steps of this
course. I am highly grateful to our department and other resources for providing me proper
knowledge. They took their valuable time out for me. This Colloquium has been possible because
of their sincere efforts.

RAJAT VARSHNEY DATE:07/10/2021

18ELB373
GK9239

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Role of Electronics in Autonomous Vehicles 18ELB373

STUDENT’S DECLARATION

I hereby certify that the work which is being presented in this colloquium report entitled “ROLE OF
ELECTRONICS IN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES” in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the
award of the Degree of Bachelor of Technology and submitted in the Department of Electronics
Engineering of the Zakir Husain College of Engineering & Technology, Aligarh Muslim University,
Aligarh is an authentic record of my own work carried out during final year of B. Tech. under the
guidance of Dr. Samar Ansari, Associate Professor, Department of Electronics Engineering,
Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh.

RAJAT VARSHNEY

18ELB373
GK9239
rajatyo1862000@gmail.com

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Role of Electronics in Autonomous Vehicles 18ELB373

TABLE OF CONTENT

Topic Page No

Acknowledgement 2

Declaration 3

Index 4

Table of figures 6

Abstract 7

CHAPTER 1: Introduction

1.1 What are Autonomous Vehicles? ……… 8

1.2 Autonomous vs Automated vs Self-Driving ……. 10

1.3 How do Autonomous vehicles work? …..… 10

CHAPTER 2: Role of Electronics

2.1 Role in Communication……… 12

2.1.2 Vehicle to Vehicle(V2V) 12

2.1.2 Vehicle to Infrastructure(V2I) 13

2.1.2 Vehicle to Pedestrians(V2P) 14

2.2 ADAS Electronic Components for Autonomous Vehicles……. 15

CHAPTER 3: Technology and Challenges

3.1 Key Technologies involved in Autonomous Vehicles……… 17

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Role of Electronics in Autonomous Vehicles 18ELB373

3.1.1 Car Navigation System 17

3.1.2 Path Planning 18

3.1.3 Environment Perception 19

3.1.4 Car Control 19

3.2 Technology for Vehicles to see……. 19

3.3 Challenges with Autonomous Vehicles………… 21

CHAPTER 4: Applications

4.1 Applications of Autonomous Vehicles……… 22

4.1.1 Public Transportation 22

4.1.2 Emergency Transportation 23

4.1.3 Shipping & Deliveries 23

CONCLUSION 24
REFERENCES 25

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Role of Electronics in Autonomous Vehicles 18ELB373

LIST OF FIGURES

Topic Caption Page no.

Fig 1 Levels of Driving Automation 9

Fig 2 How Autonomous vehicles work 12

Fig 3 Vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V) 14

Fig 4 Vehicle-to-infrastructure communication (V2I) 15

Fig 5 AR dashboards 16

Fig 6 Key technologies in Autonomous vehicles 21

Fig 7 Navigation System model 19

Fig 8 Vehicle Control Mechanism 20

Fig 9 LiDAR and Radar 21

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Role of Electronics in Autonomous Vehicles 18ELB373

ABSTRACT
In this era, the world is rapidly advancing in technology, which requires new technological
development. In the current scenario, everyone demands to make each task autonomous.
In other words, you just want to reduce your manual labour and time. About 1.25 million
people die each year in road accidents. The numbers are quite astonishing. The main
reason for these accidents is the mistake the driver made while driving the car. To avoid
such mistakes, the transportation industry was forced to revolutionize the way people drive,
so they came up with the idea of self-driving cars or Autonomous vehicles. This is why self-
driving cars are emerging that can sense and function without human intervention. A human
passenger is not required to take control of the vehicle at any time, nor is a human
passenger required to be present in the vehicle at all time. An autonomous vehicle can go
anywhere a traditional vehicle/car goes and do everything that an experienced human driver
does. In order for a future society to be sustainable, a shift away from manual labour-based
driving vehicles must occur. The fascinating fact of self-driving cars is that they can
drive their route throughout with any human assistance. There are various challenges
in this project. Cars need to make real-time decisions and drive along the desired
route. If it is not capable of doing so, then the results might be gruesome which may lead
to accidents and loss of life as well as property.

The development in Autonomous Vehicles is growing very fast in recent years due to
technological improvement, cost reductions in material and electronics required (Sensors
and Actuators). Electronics is playing a very important role in making our vehicles
autonomous because of different electronic sensors which help them in sensing the
environment. Many complex algorithms such as machine learning, artificial
intelligence, neural networks, and image processing are used to develop such self-
driving cars/ Autonomous cars.

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CHAPTER-1

INTRODUCTION

In this era, the world is rapidly advancing in technology, which requires new technological
development. In the present scenario, everything is moving towards making every work
autonomous which means that all they want is to reduce the manual labour and its time.
Every year approximately 1.25 million people die in road accidents. These numbers are
quite astonishing. The main reason for these accidents is the mistake the driver made while
driving the car and to avoid such mistakes, the transportation industry was forced to
revolutionize the way people drive, so they came up with the idea of self-driving cars or
Autonomous cars. Self-driving cars have been a hot topic these days and self-driving cars
can cause the biggest social revolution.

1.1 What are Autonomous Vehicles?

An autonomous vehicle is a vehicle capable of sensing its environment and operating
without human involvement. Human passengers do not have to control the vehicle at all
times, nor do human passengers need to be in the vehicle. This all means that the vehicle
needs to steer itself without having any human intervention. Self-driving cars can go
wherever traditional cars go and can do whatever a skilled human driver can do. [1]
Today's Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) provide important safety features
such as pre-collision warning, steering assistance, and automatic braking, self-driving
vehicles take these technologies to the next level by completely removing the need for a
driver. [2]
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) currently defines 6 levels of driving
automation ranging from Level 0 (fully manual) to Level 5 (fully autonomous). These levels
have been adopted by the U.S. Department of Transportation and break down as follows: [1]
Level 0 (No Automation): The automated system has no control over the vehicle. The
human will perform all the functions such as steering, acceleration, braking etc.
Level 1 (Driver Assistance): The driver and the automated system share control of the
vehicle. Here, the vehicle features a single automated system. Examples of this can be
found in most cars equipped with ADAS.
Level 2 (Partial Automation): The automated system can control and accelerate the
vehicle; Here, the human still monitors all tasks and take control at any time if required.

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Level 3 (Conditional Automation): The Automated system takes full control of the vehicle
and performs most of the tasks on its own and the passenger can safely take their attention
away from driving tasks; however, they must still be able to intervene.
Level 4 (High Automation): Driver can safely divert all attention away from driving tasks
and let the automated system take full control. This functionality is currently limited to
specific “geofenced” areas and other relatively controlled environments. Human Override is
still an option here.
Level 5 (Full Automation): No human intervention is required. The vehicle performs all
driving tasks under all circumstances. Zero human interaction or attention is required.

Figure 1 Levels of Automation

(Source: https://i.pinimg.com/564x/be/be/1e/bebe1ee76b3f9c7abddedaa1a356111c.jpg)

The prospect of a car driving alone in the city may seem scary, but we have to keep in
mind that our world is already filled with many automation systems that make our lives
easier, safer and more enjoyable.
For example, Amazon, one of the largest and most popular online retailers in the United
States, currently uses over 100,000 robotic systems in its shipping operations, many of
which are fully autonomous. Of the planes, most of the flights are in the hands of the

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plane's autopilot system, allowing pilots to focus on other important activities such as
navigation and communications. [2]

1.2 Autonomous Vs Automated Vs Self-Driving

The SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) uses the term automated instead
of autonomous. One reason is that the word autonomy has implications beyond the
electromechanical. [1]
A fully autonomous vehicle would be self-aware and capable of making its own decisions
and choices on the terms of different complex algorithms which are implemented behind its
backend. For example, you say “drive me to the office” but the vehicle decides to take you
to the beach instead. A fully automated vehicle/car, however, would follow orders, take
decisions and then drive itself accordingly.
The term self-driving is often used interchangeably with autonomous. However, there is only
a slight difference. A self-driving car can drive itself in some or even all situations, but a
human passenger must always be present and ready to take control but in Autonomous,
there is not a necessity of passenger to be present. Self-driving cars would fall under Level
3 (conditional driving automation) or Level 4 (high driving automation). They are subject to
geofencing, unlike a fully autonomous Level 5 car that could go anywhere.[1]

1.3 How do Autonomous vehicles work?

Autonomous vehicles rely on sensors, actuators, complex algorithms, machine
learning systems, and powerful processors to execute the programs and software.
Self-driving cars use a variety of technologies such as radar, lidar, cameras, ultrasound, and
wireless antennas to safely navigate the road. In modern self-driving cars, these
technologies are used in association with each other. Each provides a level of autonomy
that helps increase the reliability and robustness of the entire system [2]

Autonomous vehicles create and maintain a map of their surroundings based on the output
data from variety of sensors situated in different parts of the vehicle. As mentioned, Radar
sensors will monitor the positions of the nearby vehicles as well as the obstacles. Video
cameras of high resolution will monitor and detect the traffic lights, read the road signs using
computer vision, track other vehicles and also look for the pedestrians.
LIDAR sensors (light detection and ranging) reflect light pulses from the vehicle environment
to measure distance, detect roadsides, and detect lane markings. Ultrasonic sensors on the
wheels detect curbs and other vehicles when parked.

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Role of Electronics in Autonomous Vehicles 18ELB373

Figure 2 Working of Autonomous Vehicle

(Source: https://www.landmarkdividend.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Autonomous-Car-3.png)

Various advanced software then processes all this sensory data, draws a path, and sends
all commands to the vehicle's actuators that control acceleration, braking, and steering.
Fixed-coded rules, obstacle avoidance algorithms, predictive modelling, and object
recognition help the software follow traffic rules and navigate through all obstacles. [1]
Example, Tesla’s driverless car technology, known as “Autopilot”, uses eight cameras to
provide 360-degree visibility, while twelve ultrasonic sensors and a front-facing radar work
to analyse the vehicle’s surroundings for potential hazards. [11]
There is one key component still in development that will ultimately make autonomous
vehicles more reliable is the implementation of 5G cellular networks. 5G is a type of mobile
broadband which allows for the wireless transfer of data from one device to another at a
very faster rate as compared to present 4G LTE systems. Equipped on autonomous
vehicles, 5G networks will allow for seamless communication from one car to another.

We are fast approaching a world dominated by lot of IoT devices, where everything, be it a
motorized vehicle or a traffic light, will be connected to a high-speed network of some sort,
enabling all sorts of new and exciting functionality. [1]

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CHAPTER-2

ROLE OF ELECTRONICS

Electronics plays a very important role when it comes to word Autonomous because every
decision or step is taken based on the data output of different sensors embedded in the
Autonomous vehicles. Rapid adoption and expansion of electronics have made the vehicles
evolve from hand-crafted classics that were earlier controlled by cables and mechanical
systems to now completely computer-controlled self-thinking autonomous machines. The
growing adoption of connected vehicle technology and advanced driver assistance systems
(ADAS) drives the demand for electronics. It’s projected that hybrid, electric vehicles (EV),
and ADAS systems alone would contribute to over 45% of the electronics in a car by
2030. [3]

2.1 Role in Communication

Wireless technologies such as LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth and 5G allow vehicles to communicate
with infrastructure (V2I), networks (V2N), people (V2P), and each other (V2V). Continued
progress is being made by automotive companies such as Toyota, Lexus and Volkswagen,
and chip design and manufacturing companies such as Qualcomm and NXP. These
advances include technologies for faster data transfers, improved vehicle security, reduced
latency of less than 5 milliseconds, and better data sharing.
2.1.1 Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) –
One of the main advantages of high-speed, zero-latency networks is that self-driving cars
can communicate with each other. This also guarantees proper communication with each
other. Upon successful implementation, the 5G network can provide the above network
properties. This type of seamless communication allows self-driving cars to share
information about their current location, routes, and dangers on the road.
Imagine you are approaching a traffic light, and a vehicle suddenly jumps a red light. Though
you fail to react to a sudden situation, your car provides a warning of a likely collision and
applies brakes automatically in split seconds to avoid an accident. This is possible with
vehicle-to-vehicle communication or V2V. [6]

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Role of Electronics in Autonomous Vehicles 18ELB373

Figure 3 V2V Communication

(Source: Halan, D. D. (n.d.). Role Of Automotive

Information Technology In. Retrieved from Electronics for you)

Wireless signals send information back and forth between vehicles about their location,
speed, and direction to enable them to maintain safe distances from each other. V2V
algorithms determine the best evasive measure required to preclude an accident. [6]
Let’s say two cars are travelling on a road, one behind the other, then the front car if detects
any hazardous road condition by use of its onboard sensors, then it can transmit this
information to its preceding car and it can begin braking or changing its route.
Additionally, with a whole network of interconnected vehicles, traffic congestion could be
alleviated since vehicles will be able to make intelligent decisions about their current route
to maintain a steady rate of vehicle flow. [2]

2.1.2 Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2V) –

Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) technology is a communication structure that allows many
vehicles to exchange data with various devices that support highway systems in a particular
country. Self-driving cars connected to 5G networks can communicate with the various
infrastructure elements that make up roads and other transportation systems. [6]
This includes RFID readers, cameras, lane makers, streetlights, parking meters, and more.
Enabled by a network of hardware, software, and firmware, the V2I technology is usually
wireless and bi-directional. It enables vehicles to communicate with infrastructure, such as
road signs, traffic signals, and traffic management systems (TMS), to provide information
about safety issues and the best possible route to take based on the prevailing traffic
conditions, accidents, or breakages. [6]

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Role of Electronics in Autonomous Vehicles 18ELB373

Figure 4 V2I Communication

(Source: Halan, D. D. (n.d.). Role Of Automotive Information Technology In. Retrieved from Electronics for you)

V2I technology can also allow for the Autonomous parking. A garage or parking area
‘talks’ to the vehicle via the Internet and informs about the free space. After dropping off
passengers, the vehicle approaches the free space and automatically parks itself. To get
the vehicle back from the parking, the driver has to just make a call using his/her
smartphone.

2.1.3 Vehicle to Pedestrian (V2P) –

Communication between the vehicle and the infrastructure is important, but it is even more
important to know exactly where the vehicle is moving and its exact location. Well, for
implementation, the idea is that most of us wouldn't leave home without a smartphone or
internet-enabled device (smartwatch, tablet, e-reader, etc.). That is, somehow, we are most
often connected to the internet and many of these devices, such as smartphones, can use
GPS to pinpoint the exact location of the person using the device. With 5G networks, this
information can be quickly transferred to nearby self-driving cars, so you will always be
informed of your pedestrian's location.
With this level of connectivity, driverless vehicles will be able to react dynamically to the
position of a pedestrian with collision prevention measures like braking and automatic
steering, which in turn should make our streets much safer to travel by foot. [2]
Another idea is Augmented reality (AR) display which can overlay information on top of what
a driver is actually seeing in real life. BMW has already implemented a windshield display
in some of their vehicles, which displays basic information. They’re also developing

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augmented reality dashboards that will help identify any external object in front of a vehicle
and inform the driver how far away he/she is from that object.

Figure 5 AR dashboards can identify external objects and display their

information on the windshield.
(Source: Halan, D. D. (n.d.). Role Of Automotive Information Technology In.
Retrieved from Electronics for you)

2.2 ADAS Electronic Components for Autonomous Vehicles

As per the norms of Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), level-0, level-1, and level-2
autonomy include advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) that have the capability of
controlling vehicles autonomously in limited and brief conditions. These systems mainly
include adaptive cruise control, parallel parking capability, and collision avoidance. Level-3
or level-4 autonomy refers to driverless cars with autonomy and the ability to make decisions
on their own. Companies like Waymo, Cruise, Uber, Lyft, Argo AI, and Voyage are
approaching level-3 autonomy using a ‘Safety Driver,’ which is currently at the development
stage. [4]
Passive components dominate the count on ADAS systems. These components play a
major role in improving system reliability. They have an impact on overall system reliability
and also contribute extremely positive performance.
➢ Self-Healing Capacitors - Now there are AEC Q200 compliant capacitors that recover from
inductive capacitive faults. Next-generation self-healing capacitors help eliminate 200
potential points of failure in circuits. These devices are technologies that provide fault
tolerance for power supplies and regulators in automotive circuits. AVX OxiCap® NbO
Capacitors are self-healing. Sudden voltage surges or high currents can increase leakage
current and slightly decrease capacitance. [3]

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 Role of Electronics in Autonomous Vehicles 18ELB373

➢ Transient Capable Passives - High Q, low value RF capacitors and inductors did not work
well when exposed to other transient waveforms. New materials and manufacturing systems
have been developed for ESD-enabled inductors. These devices can enhance RF links and
sensors for all ADAS designs (GPS, radar, and lidar). Impulse integrators can be used in IR
cameras, stereo vision, and lane keeping modules to improve system reliability.. [3]

➢ LCT Filters - When replacing a T-filter configuration, consisting of two inductors and one
capacitor, with a single integrated filter package in a 0805-case size, the number of
components gets reduced and hence, there are fewer possibilities for assembly-induced
defects like pick and place errors, damages, board flexure induced failures, etc. Solder
process errors are also reduced with the lower number of solder joints. Thus, the failure rate
of the single filter is better than a combination of discrete devices. [3]

➢ Miniature Power Hold up Capacitors – Concern has been expressed over the effects of
power disruption to critical safety and for this, module of miniature SMT capacitors has been
created which is rated in both capacitance as well as joule. [4]

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Role of Electronics in Autonomous Vehicles 18ELB373

CHAPTER-3

TECHNOLOGY AND CHALLENGES

3.1 Key Technologies involved in Autonomous Vehicles

The automatic control, architecture, artificial intelligence, computer vision and many other
technologies are integrated into the self-driving car/Autonomous car, which is a product of
the highly developed computer science, pattern recognition and intelligent control
technology. [5]
The four key technologies in Autonomous vehicles, namely, car navigation system, path
planning, environment perception and car control, are addressed in this chapter.

Figure 6 Key Technologies in Autonomous vehicles

(Source: Zhao, Jianfeng & Liang, Bodong & Chen, Qiuxia. (2018). The key technology toward the self-driving car. International Journal of
Intelligent Unmanned Systems. 6. 2-20. 10.1108/IJIUS-08-2017-0008)

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 Role of Electronics in Autonomous Vehicles 18ELB373

➢ 3.1.1 Navigation System - In the navigation system, geographic information system and
global positioning system (GPS) are equipped in vehicle to receive the location information
such as longitude and latitude from the satellite. This information, together with the road
information generated by the location system and digital map database will serve as the
source data and get input to the map-matching model, where the intelligent path planning
algorithms (i.e., Dijkstra algorithm, Bellman-Ford algorithm) are utilized to enable the path
planning calculation. The electronics here, plays the important role in communication
through the GPS and gather data from the satellite. Highly efficient processors are used in
calculation of Path planning and the vehicle will be able to reach the destination correctly.

Figure 7 Navigation system model

(Source: Zhao, Jianfeng & Liang, Bodong & Chen, Qiuxia. (2018). The key technology toward the self-driving car. International Journal of
Intelligent Unmanned Systems. 6. 2-20. 10.1108/IJIUS-08-2017-0008)

Here, the main purpose of the location system is to determine the vehicle location, which
can be classified into relative location, absolute location and hybrid location. The vehicle
angular velocity and accelerated velocity are obtained by the gyroscope sensor and
accelerometer installed in the vehicle. Electronic map (EM) is used for digital map
information storage, which mainly includes geographical characteristics, traffic information,
building information, traffic signs, road facilities, etc. Map matching, which is the foundation
of the path planning, calculates out the car’s location by using the geographical information
from GPS and the map information from EM.

➢ 3.1.2 Path Planning - Path Planning is used to determine the optimal driving path between
the start point and end point. Generally, the typical path planning algorithms, such as
Dijkstra algorithm, Bellman-Ford algorithm, Floyd algorithm and heuristic algorithm are
employed to fuse the EM information and calculate the optimal path. After doing the path
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planning calculation, the Autonomous car can locate itself. With the information of the car’s
location and the destination, the driving route can also be programmed and calculated by
the path planning model.

It is necessary to accurately locate the self-driving car even in high-speed moving scenario;
however, higher speed leads to fast update of the location information, and more information
is required to be integrated. However, due to the limited computation ability and processing
speed (i.e., CPU) of the equipment, the in-time calculation of location information cannot be
achieved, and thus it leads to the inaccuracy of location. Therefore, obtaining high-accuracy
location under high-speed condition is a future research direction.

➢ 3.1.3 Environment Perception - Environment perception is beneficial to provide necessary

information for taking the decisions by the autonomous vehicle to control itself and hence,
required to independently perceive the surrounding environment.
During environment perception, multi-sensors (i.e., laser sensor, radar sensor) are deployed
to sense the comprehensive information from the environment, which are then fused to
perceive the environment. [5] The radar sensor is used for the distance perception and
visual sensor is for traffic sign recognition.
The vehicle fuses the data from the laser sensors, visual sensors and radar sensors and
generates the surrounding environment perception such as road edges, stones, obstacles,
dividers, road markings etc.

➢ 3.1.4 Vehicle Control - The vehicle control includes mainly the vehicle speed control and
direction control. Once determined vehicle’s position, to achieve vehicle speed and
direction, the EM information including environment perception, vehicle status, driving
target, traffic regulations and driving knowledge are fed as input to the perception model,
then vehicle control algorithm performs the calculation of the control target and then it is
passed to the vehicle control system and it is controlled accordingly.

Figure 8 Vehicle Control Mechanism

(Source: Zhao, Jianfeng & Liang, Bodong & Chen, Qiuxia. (2018). The key technology toward the self-driving car. International Journal of
Intelligent Unmanned Systems. 6. 2-20. 10.1108/IJIUS-08-2017-0008)

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3.2 Key Technology for Vehicles to see

Devices that are needed to make autonomous vehicles ‘to see’ the road and the
environment around include cameras, light detection and ranging sensors (LiDAR),
automotive radars, and ultrasonic sensors. Software is used for ‘fusing’ these different
sources to localise the detected objects and predict where these will go next. In this way,
electronics play a very important role here because these are the electronic devices which
we are using to see the world around autonomous vehicles.
➢ Cameras are continuously being made smaller, faster, higher-performing, and less
expensive. Technology is available to decipher 3D images from the camera using a camera
processing unit for detecting obstacles such as curbs and potholes.
➢ An ultrasonic sensor measures an object’s proximity by using a transducer to send and
receive ultrasonic pulses relayed by the object. The technology is also used in vehicle
detection systems to automatically count the number of vehicles entering or leaving an area
such as a parking lot and highway gates. In case of low light intensity, or when a medium
interferes with the propagation of light, cameras provide poor quality images. This problem
is solved by combining cameras with ultrasonic sensors that function well in conditions
where light intensity is low, or the surroundings are dark.
➢ LiDAR measures distance by illuminating the target with laser light and measuring the
reflected light. Solid-state LiDAR technology provides sensors that can determine the
velocity of the object as well as its distance from the radar. Advancements are on LiDAR
sensors that can see as far as 200 metres with 2.5cm precision using only 100mW of power.
➢ Automotive radars are used to determine speed, direction, and range of objects in the
vicinity of a vehicle by transmitting radio waves, which after hitting an object, get reflected
and are received by radar. These are used in ADAS for collision avoidance and detection of
pedestrians.

Figure 9 LiDAR and Radar

(Source: Halan, D. D. (n.d.). Role Of Automotive Information Technology In. Retrieved from Electronics for you)

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3.3 Challenges with Autonomous Vehicles

Fully autonomous (Level 5) cars are undergoing testing in several pockets of the world, but
none are yet available to the general public because of some challenges which we have to
overcome. The challenges range from the technological and legislative to the environmental
and philosophical. Some of the challenges with Autonomous vehicles are discussed below
- [1].
➢ Lidar is expensive and is still trying to strike the right balance between range and resolution.
Efforts are on to make LiDAR sensors that can see as far as 200 metres with 2.5cm precision
using only 100mW of power. Plus, these cost less than 500 dollars. Also, if multiple
autonomous cars were to drive on the same road at a time, then their lidar signals may
interfere with one another and if multiple frequencies are available then it will be not enough
for mass production.
➢ Different Weather conditions in different parts of the world is one of the key challenges that
has to be addressed. What would happen when the vehicle drives in very heavy precipitation
or if there is a layer of snow on the road, or lane dividers disappear, how will the cameras
and sensors track the lane markings if these markings are disturbed by the ice, water, oil or
debris.
➢ Will Autonomous vehicles have trouble in crossing the tunnels and bridges? Will they be
granted carpool lane access?
➢ Lawmakers have also written bills proposing that all autonomous cars must be zero-
emission vehicles and have a panic button installed. But these laws are going to be different
from state to state. Will passengers be able to cross state lines with an autonomous vehicle?
➢ If an Autonomous vehicle causes any accident, then who will be liable for it, the
manufacturer or the human passenger. The latest blueprints suggest that a fully
autonomous Level 5 car will not have a dashboard or a steering wheel, so a human
passenger would not even have the option to take control of the vehicle in an emergency.
➢ Human drivers mostly rely on subtle cues and non-verbal communication—like making eye
contact with walking pedestrians or reading the facial expressions of the peoples on the
road and body language of other drivers—to make split-second judgment calls and predict
some behaviours. Will autonomous cars be able to replicate this connection? Will they have
the same life-saving instincts as human drivers have? [1]

To overcome with the challenges incurred in making the vehicles autonomous, we have to
ensure that we came up with an idea where there is a solution to those challenges like
how the vehicle adapts its functionality according to the challenges such as environmental
causes like the divider is damaged by any natural calamity such as earthquake, landslide
etc.
Today’s cars have 100 million lines of code. Tomorrow’s autonomous cars will have more
than 300 million lines of code to ensure the above things and this will keep on increasing
until unless all the challenges are not solved with an efficient solution.

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CHAPTER-4

APPLICATIONS

The scenarios for improving comfort and quality of life are endless. Self-driving cars have
many advantages because the elderly and the physically challenged are independent. If
your child goes to a summer camp and forgets their swimsuit and toothbrush, the car may
bring them the missing items. You can also send your dog to a veterinary appointment. You
can also send your vehicle to store personal belongings such as groceries.
But the real promise of autonomous cars is the potential for dramatically lowering
CO2 emissions. In a recent study, experts identified three trends that, if adopted
concurrently, would unleash the full potential of autonomous cars: vehicle automation,
vehicle electrification, and ridesharing. By 2050, these “three revolutions in urban
transportation” could: [1]
• Reduce traffic congestion (30% fewer vehicles on the road)
• Cut transportation costs by 40% (in terms of vehicles, fuel, and infrastructure)
• Improve walkability and liveability
• Free up parking lots for other uses (schools, parks, community centres)
• Reduce urban CO2 emissions by 80% worldwide
Driverless/Autonomous cars are poised to shake up multiple industries around the world,
including industries like shipping, public transportation, and emergency transportation. The
different applications of the autonomous vehicles are discussed below –

4.1 Applications of Autonomous Vehicles

4.1.1 Public Transportation
Driverless vehicles offer the promise of increased options for public transportation, as nearly
everyone’s autonomous car could be used for shuttling commuters from one location to the
next. For example, suppose you drive a self-driving car to work, stand your car in the garage,
and drive other commuters in a predefined area for a fee to commute to work. This can help
you earn extra income while you do your normal job.
Integrating self-driving cars into the transportation system gives commuters access to an
almost unlimited number of commuting options and vehicle owners access to new sources
of income.

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4.1.2 Emergency Transportation

With traffic congestion reduced (or eliminated) from our streets, emergency vehicles will be
able to reach their destinations much more quickly. Additionally, drivers who are having a
medical emergency will be able to automatically adjust the course of their vehicle to the
nearest E.R without having to worry about operating the vehicle.
In the future, it’s not impossible to imagine that our vehicles will be equipped with various
advanced technologies capable of monitoring the vitals of any individual occupants, and if
the vehicle senses that there is a medical emergency, the vehicle can then make the
decision on their own to drive to the nearest E.R while getting in touch with the facility and
uploading its information to the medical staff as well.
4.1.3 Shipping & Deliveries
The shipping industry stands to gain a lot from driverless vehicles, especially since the vast
majority of companies still rely on human labour to move product from one location to
another.
As an example, take for instance your standard shipping trailer that travels from state to
state with driverless vehicles, these trailers won’t have to stop due to driver fatigue, hunger,
the call of nature, or other human-centric concerns, which should reduce shipping times by
a considerable amount.
Companies such as Otto and Starsky Robotics have focused on autonomous trucks.
Automation of trucks is important, not only due to the improved safety aspects of these very
heavy vehicles, but also due to the ability of fuel savings through platooning. Autonomous
vans are being used by online grocers such as Ocado. [11]
In Europe, cities in Belgium, France, Italy and the United Kingdom are planning to operate
car transport systems, while Germany, the Netherlands and Spain have approved public
transport tests. In 2015, the UK began public testing of the LUTZ Pathfinder automatic pod
in Milton Keynes. Starting in the summer of 2015, the French government has allowed PSA
Peugeot Citroen to conduct tests in the Paris region under actual conditions.. [11]

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CONCLUSION

The work proposed above focuses on the role and effectiveness of electronics in self-driving
cars. First of all, it contains information about self-driving cars and different levels of
autonomy. Next, I explained how self-driving cars work. Self-driving cars use sensors,
actuators, complex algorithms, machine learning systems, and powerful processors to
execute programs and software. It also describes the role of electronics in relation to the
various sensors that need to be installed in self-driving cars. This allows the car to recognize
the environment and take advantage of various technologies used to safely navigate the
road, such as LiDAR, radar and cameras. NS. The role of electronic devices in
communication is also explained when vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2I),
and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2P) communication is required. V2V communication helps vehicles
avoid accidents on the road, and V2I technology enables autonomous parking. The garage
or parking lot can "talk" to the vehicle over the internet, provide information about free space,
and provide a live map of the area. It also covers a variety of key technologies involved,
such as environmental awareness, route planning, navigation systems, and vehicle control.
Next, I explained the electronic components of the autonomous driving support system
(ADAS) required for autonomous vehicles. Several manufacturers in the world, both passive
and semiconductor, have already manufactured automotive-grade components with
improved reliability and functionality to meet the extreme reliability requirements of ADAS,
but the adoption of ADAS has been adopted., A stepping stone to the adoption of fully
autonomous vehicles.
Capability ‘to see’ is the key to autonomous vehicle safety. Devices that are needed to make
vehicles ‘to see’ the road around include cameras, light detection and ranging sensors
(LiDAR), automotive radars, and ultrasonic sensors. Software is used for ‘fusing’ these
different sources to localise the detected objects and predict where these will go next. Next,
we discussed different challenges which we have to overcome for the commercialization of
the Autonomous vehicles such as issues of weather conditions, liability to accidents, high
cost of advanced sensors needed etc. At the last, we discussed different applications of the
Autonomous vehicles, how it can provide benefits to the transportation and shipping
industries and also can help in emergency transportations. In the near future, the
commercial self-driving car under supervision in some special sections will be developed,
such as the car will self-drive in a highway, which will be the milestone of self-driving. In the
future, full self-driving car will be accepted as a common driving pattern.

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