AdvancedTopic 72 of 102Manufacturing, Robotics & Systems
Autonomous vehicles
Perception, planning and control to drive without human input.
In depth
Self-driving stack: sensors (cameras, radar, lidar, GNSS/IMU), perception (detection, tracking), localisation (HD maps), prediction, planning (behaviour, motion) and control, plus safety (redundancy, ISO 26262, SOTIF). SAE levels 0–5. Challenges: edge cases, validation, regulation, ethics.
Key points
- Operational design domain
- Simulation testing
- Disengagement metrics
ExampleRobotaxis operate Level 4 in geofenced areas.
What is Autonomous vehicles?
Perception, planning and control to drive without human input.
Why is it important to understand autonomous vehicles?
Autonomous vehicles combine perception, planning and control to drive without a human, which is one of the largest engineering challenges today.
What are the main stages of an autonomous vehicle?
Perception to detect objects and the road, prediction of other road users, planning of the route and manoeuvres, and control of steering, braking and throttle.
What levels of automation exist?
Driver assistance, partial automation, conditional, high and full automation, which define how much the vehicle handles and how much the driver must do.
How is Autonomous vehicles used in practice?
Typical applications include driving a shuttle on a fixed route in a city centre, using lane keeping and adaptive cruise control on a motorway and planning a safe overtaking manoeuvre with sensor data.
What should I learn before Autonomous vehicles?
Study "Drones and UAVs" first (topic 71 of 102 in Manufacturing, Robotics & Systems). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
What are the key points of Autonomous vehicles?
Operational design domain. Simulation testing. Disengagement metrics.
Can you give an example of Autonomous vehicles?
Robotaxis operate Level 4 in geofenced areas.
What comes after Autonomous vehicles?
The next topic is "Mechatronics", which builds directly on this one.
How difficult is Autonomous vehicles?
It is classed as Advanced in Manufacturing, Robotics & Systems (topic 72 of 102). It is an advanced topic. It assumes you are comfortable with the intermediate topics in Manufacturing, Robotics & Systems.