Hyundai Debuts Self-Driving, Machine-Learning Technology
Recently, it was reported that Hyundai intends to have a fully autonomous fleet of vehicles on the roads by 2024. As part of that vision, the company announced the latest in its iterations of self-driving technology. The technology is built around reading the inputs from users and then developing a driving style, which is similar to how the user would operate the vehicle. Utilizing AI in the form of machine learning, the car can potentially learn to drive the same way that the user does.
One Small Step Closer
In the realm of autonomous vehicles, this is a significant accomplishment. These vehicles rank on a scale of zero to five, with zero being absolutely no automation and five being a vehicle able to drive itself. The system was devised by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and is intended to classify the different levels of development in vehicle autonomy. Hyundai’s technology lies somewhere between level 2 (driver control and assistance necessary) and level 3 (the vehicle gets control of safety-critical functions). Hyundai refers to the system as a level 2.5 technology.
How it Works
The technology utilizes AI and machine learning to record the driver’s actions while he or she is on the road. Using extrapolation, the AI then works out the operating speed, braking time, and reaction speed of the driver and factors all of these along with other data into a profile of how the driver operates the car. When the system is turned on, the AI can replicate the user’s operation of the vehicle almost precisely.
Hyundai terms the technology Smart Cruise Control-Machine Learning (SCC-ML) since the initial iteration will be incorporated into the cruise-control systems of forthcoming cars. Sensors embedded around the can update the information coming into the vehicle at all times to keep the car informed of its surroundings. Safety measures are coded into the self-driving algorithms to ensure that the automation system doesn’t endanger the lives of passengers.
