Simplified Proposal for Vehicle Automation Modes
Vehicle Automation Modes emphasize the responsibilities of a self-driving vehicle user By: Dr. Philip Koopman , Carnegie Mellon University Now that the AV industry has backed away from SAE Levels, especially the highly problematic Level 3, it's time for a fresh look at operating modes of vehicle automation technology. Vehicle Automation Modes If you follow self-driving car technology it’s likely you’ve encountered the SAE Levels of automation. The SAE Levels range from 0 to 5, with higher numbers indicating driving automation technology with more control authority (but not a linear progression, and not necessarily higher levels of safety). Unfortunately, in public discussions there is significant confusion and misuse ( even abuse ) of that terminology. In large part that is because the SAE Levels are primarily based on an engineering view rather than the perspective of a person driving the car. We need a different categorization approach. One that emphasizes how drivers and orga