The year 2021 could be a revolutionary year that everyone related to the autonomous vehicles trade has been waiting for. This is not just speculation; it is based on announcements made previously by major players in the self-driving car business. For example, Walmart has made it official that they will begin to automate several of their supply chain vehicles this year, in and out of Bentonville, Arkansas.
Then there’s of course the announcement from Tesla, where Elon Musk has sounded quite confident towards releasing advanced Level 4 and even Level 5 autonomous capabilities to some cars as a subscription-based service! If you wish to know more about the idea, as well as several others, read on as we discuss everything about autonomous vehicles and what to expect from them in 2021.
A Brief Introduction to Autonomous Driving Categorizations
We are all aware that autonomous vehicles are supposed to be capable of driving themselves without needing a human driver for the navigation. However, things are not that simple. All self-driving cars are classified based on their capabilities, and those capabilities are divided into five different levels of automation. A brief introduction to these levels and what they signify is important, as we will be using them as reference points later on. Do note that we are leaving Level 0 out of this list, as it only denotes all cars that have no autonomous features whatsoever. You will often hear about the six levels of automation, but in truth, there are only five. Not having any of the necessary self-driving features should not qualify as a level of automation by default.
Level 1, aka Driver Assistance
The first level of autonomous driving features includes only the most basic smart utilities such as adaptive cruise control and parking assistance. Adaptive cruise control should not be confused with cruise control, which is not a Level 1 autonomous feature. Adaptive cruise control differs from its more traditional predecessor because this feature can regulate the vehicle’s speed to ensure safety, whereas traditional cruise control is limited to only maintaining a speed that was entered manually.
Parking assistance is a very handy feature that supplements video footage of the car’s rear movements during parking, with appropriate alerts and sounds to do the same job that a human parking assistant would. Multiple modern cars released in the last 2 to 3 years have Level 1 automation built into them.
Level 2, aka Partial Automation
Level 2 autonomous cars will have all Level 1 driver assistance features, along with partial steering control and braking capabilities. This is where you truly begin to feel what automated driving can really do, but it is still mandatory for a human driver to be awake, sitting behind the wheel, with eyes on the road. If the sensors notice that the human driver is not paying due attention, the car will warn the driver immediately and stop safely, if necessary.
Level 3, aka Conditional Automation
The Audi A8 (European version only) features Level 3 automation and as expected, the car is quite capable of handling nearly all aspects of driving, from acceleration and speed maintenance to precise steering control, without constant human observation or intervention.
A licensed driver must still be present behind the steering wheel to take over when needed, but the car will not put out warnings, or come to a stop every time the driver decides to take a break. While they are suitable for self-driving under favorable conditions, the driver must be prepared to take control of the car as soon as the system suggests it. This may present some potential risks, which is why many are of the opinion that Level 3 vehicles should not be allowed on roads until they can be certified as Level 4 self-driving cars.
Level 4, aka High Automation
In the year 2021, companies such as Tesla are confident that they will be able to bring Level 4 automation to various models. That would indeed be an achievement, given that Level 4 autonomous vehicles are completely capable of driving through most road conditions, except when it begins to snow or rain. A human driver might be required to take over if the conditions are deemed to be dangerous by the system. This means that a licensed human driver must be present in the car for such occurrences, but they do not have to sit behind the wheel unless prompted to do so.
Level 5, aka Full Automation
This is what the science fiction pop culture has been imagining for decades now – a fully automatic and autonomous car that can drive itself through any road or weather condition, without needing assistance from a human driver. Although Level 5 autonomous vehicles are still not here, it’s no longer a concept that seems farfetched. Once the fully autonomous vehicles are finally here, they will not need a human driver to be present in the car at all.
Now that we are clear on the features by which the NHTSA has defined automation levels in vehicles, let’s take a closer look at what is expected from the industry in 2021.
Walmart and Gatik: Autonomous Box Trucks are Making Headway in Arkansas and Louisiana
The big news in automation for the supply chain industry is that Walmart, in association with their supply chain partner Gatik, will now be operating temperature-controlled, autonomous box trucks across a 20-mile long, cross-state route. As of reporting, there is only one route that the trucks will be taking for the time being. As the year progresses, Gatik will probably begin sending their automated trucks across more routes deeper in the state of Louisiana as well.
Gatik’s self-driving trucks have already traversed a small, 2-mile route in Bentonville, Arkansas, for over 70,000 miles. However, this will be the first time that a driver will not be present behind the wheels to control the trucks along the same route, as well as the new, longer route. If it turns out to be a success, Walmart will likely put more driverless box trucks on the 20-mile route which connects New Orleans to Metairie, Louisiana.
The Demand for Autonomous Vehicle Engineers Will Soar Through the Roof
It shouldn’t be hard to imagine that the growth of self-driving vehicles on the road will also lead to a massive demand for automobile engineers with advanced training in computer programming and electrical engineering. The two are necessary for understanding, designing, building, repairing, and improving the next generation of automated vehicles.
In order to be capable of working in this field, plain old automobile engineering experience is not going to be enough, which is precisely why there is a deficit in the number of available and qualified engineers who can work in the autonomous vehicle industry right now. Check out this post which further elaborates on how autonomous vehicles, electrical engineering, and computer programming are intricately connected to each other. It’s a good time for automobile engineers with the right education and degree right now, but it’s only going to get better in the coming years as the technology evolves even further.
Commercial Usage of Autonomous Cars is Going to Grow Huge in 2021
When we generally think about automated vehicles, we tend to think only about private or passenger cars. As the news about driverless Walmart trucks making their way out of Arkansas and into Louisiana should tell you, the progress and the usage of automation technology in self-driving cars is far more important for its commercial potentials. If you take a tour through any modern manufacturing facility owned by a big corporation, you might even be awestruck by the level of automation at work there, from self-driving and self-loading delivery trucks to smaller, in-house mobility vehicles that work in perfect coordination with their human counterparts to maximize productivity.
The Next Generation of Military UGVs and UAVs are Coming
Although we do not hear much about secret military tech from the official sources for obvious reasons, it’s easy to imagine how the rapid advances we are seeing in civilian grade autonomous vehicle technology are already being amplified and used in military operations. As per official reports, the US military itself is working closely with various parties to enhance and incorporate some of the self-driving features into their military-grade personnel vehicles and unmanned vehicles.
A few known examples of military-grade, unmanned, autonomous vehicles that we know are either already in operation, or are going to be in operation by the end of 2021 include:
- MUTT – Multi-Utility Tactical Transport (MUTT)
- THeMIS (Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System)
- The Nano Bug by BAE and UAVTEK
- Centaur
Finally, attention must be paid to what Elon Musk mentioned back in early December 2020. Despite many industry experts expecting Level 5 vehicles to be conceptual before at least the year 2026 is here, the CEO of Tesla thinks otherwise. Musk is confident that many vehicles will be able to exhibit full Level 5 auto driving in 2021 itself. Whether he can come good on that promise or not, remains to be seen though.
