Cars are now becoming more automated than ever before,
however, full automation won't happen overnight. This technology is currently
being rolled out in various stages as is defined by the NHTSA.
Level 1 - The first
level of automation is driver assistance. At this
stage the car is still controlled by the driver, however, the car will have a
few driver-assist features. These can include blind-spot detection as well
as support for lane keeping. This level of automation is now present in most
cars.
Level 2 - The next
stage is partial automation. In this stage, the vehicle has a combined
automated ability such as automated acceleration, steering, etc. With this
particular type of automation, the driver will be able to remove his or her
hands from the steering wheel for short spaces of time, however, they still need
to closely monitor the road and their environment while taking a very active
role in driving. Some of the features in partially automated vehicles include
parking assistance, traffic jam assist, controlled steering on smoothly paved
roads, etc.
Level 3 - The third
level is conditional automation. At this level, the driver is still needed
to drive the car but they don't need to monitor the road and environment.
However, they will still need to be ready to take control of the vehicle if
needed.
Level 4 - The fourth
level is high automation. At this particular level, the car is fully capable
of executing all driving functions with certain conditions in place. However,
the driver can still take control of the car if needed or desired.
Level 5 - In the
final stage, there is full automation. At this stage,
the car can easily complete all driving functions, no matter what the driving
or environmental conditions may be. These types of cars will probably be
available from 2025 according to estimates by Abuelsamid. It is not yet known
whether the driver will be able to control fully automated cars as yet.
Read more about the future of automotive technology in this
article by Fircroft.