Autonomous driving is progressively becoming an important part of the future developments of e-cars making them more intelligent and safe. The aim is to increase the comfort of e-car users and to protect and make the driver aware in case of physiological issues while driving:
“Reliability, manufacturing, and broad safety and security challenges stand in the way of moving autonomous cars from prototype to production, according to a Forrester survey of automotive experts” (Source: arm)
Many large companies working in the field of electronics are developing related automotive ICs for such an application (see Figure 1):
“The all new Arm Cortex-A family of Automotive Enhanced (AE) high performance processors is designed for devices undertaking complex and demanding safety critical tasks. Arm Cortex-A76AE brings highest levels of safety with Split-Lock capability which includes the ability for Dual Core Lock-Step (DCLS), while delivering uncompromising performance and thermal efficiency. It is the processor of choice for next generation Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Autonomous Driving systems. ” (Source: arm)
“Cortex-A76AE delivers substantial gains in peak performance and contributes towards the highest Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) standards required for fully autonomous vehicles.” (Source: arm)
The road to achieving autonomous driving passes through the development of smart integrated circuits like the microcontrollers produced by STMicroelectronics based on Arm processors (see Figure 2):
“The STM32 family of 32-bit microcontrollers based on the Arm® Cortex®-M processor is designed to offer new degrees of freedom to MCU users. It offers products combining very high performance, real-time capabilities, digital signal processing, and low-power and low-voltage operation, and connectivity, while maintaining full integration and ease of development. The unparalleled and large range of STM32 microcontrollers, based on an industry-standard core and accompanied by a vast choice of tools and software, makes this family of products the ideal choice, both for small projects or an entire platforms….Security has emerged as one of the 3 key areas that developers of embedded and IoT applications are thriving to improve. The STM32L5 microcontroller series is the solution and provide a new optimal balance between performance, power and security.” (Source: st.com)
A chart showing the characteristics of STM32 family of 32-bit microcontrollers based on the Arm® Cortex®-M processor (Source: st.com)
What do you think of the idea of an autonomous car? Will it be successful according to your opinion?
I can already see a bright future in the autonomous driving industry. Though it has yet to go full-force in the overall market, the potential is already visible to many. It just needs a little tweak here and there before it can be accomplished on a full scale eventually.