Automakers Toyota, Ford, and GM, have joined forces with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) to form the Automated Vehicle Safety Consortium (AVSC). The group intends to use their combined experience to create guidelines for the safe testing and deployment of SAE Level 4 and 5 autonomous Vehicles.
The SAE J3016 standard defines 6 levels of vehicle automation from level 0 (no automation) up to level 5 (completely autonomous). It is the industry’s most referenced standard for defining levels of automated-vehicle capabilities.
Automakers view the development of autonomous vehicles as an important step in the evolution of the transportation industry. Building public trust in AV technology is a key component to their future success. As testing accelerates in public settings the need for comprehensive safety procedures intensifies. The group has three areas of concern.
- Proper systems are in place for testing.
- Vehicles are capable of interactions with people and external systems.
- Systems are in place for the collection, protection, and sharing of data.
GM is currently leading the race to market with plans to launch its autonomous vehicle in 2019. Toyota claims it will be ready by 2020 while Ford is primed for a 2021 launch. All are planning to use fully autonomous vehicles for ride-hailing and delivery services which promise to be far more lucrative than their current business models.
“Industry collaboration in areas that act as a foundation of automated driving systems and vehicles, such as infrastructure or social systems, is a significant step for us to achieve safe deployment of autonomous vehicles,” said Kelly Kay, the Toyota Research Institute’s chief safety officer, in a statement. “The formation of this consortium creates a forum to collaborate and cooperate with various stakeholders who will play important roles in forming and synthesizing the automated vehicle ecosystem of tomorrow.”
For more details, visit the consortium website.