History of Technology in

Cars

When did the idea of the autonomous car even come into the minds of people around the world?
​ How realistic is the idea of an autonomous car? ​

A Timeline of the History of Autonomous Cars

1939: Futurama

Futurama, an exhibit at the World's Fair in New York hosted by General Motors was where Norman Bel Geddes first brought his idea of the self-driving car to the minds of many people, as it estimated approximately 30,000 people visited Futurama each day. This was a ride-like exhibit that showed viewers what the future would look like--full of buildings consisting of glass, and "skyways" (which we know as highways), and cars controlled via "automatic radio control". 

1957: Radio Corporation of America

The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) wanted to create a "Highway of the Future" where they would run cables inside of a roadway that the car would detect. This was successful in Princeton, New Jersey. The vehicles were driven by themselves, and they each had sensors on the front that detected the cable in the road that told the vehicle when to switch lanes, apply brakes, and more. 

1962: Professor Robert Fenton at Ohio State University

Professor Robert Fenton and his team at Ohio State University built the first automated vehicle that had a computer within it. This car had the steering, braking, and speed controlled by electronics. The electronics filled most of the car--taking up the trunk, backseat, and passenger seat. 

1986-1989: ALVINN

Autonomous Land Vehicle In a Neural Network (ALVINN) is a vehicle that is able to capture images from cameras and series of lasers that produce I/O for the computers within the vehicle in order to communicate with the vehicle as to which direction it should travel in order to follow the roadways. The car was able to travel through roads correctly approximately 90% of the time on new road conditions. 

Present Day: Level 2 Autonomy

Currently, we have the means to make a fully-autonomous vehicle, however, the current state of many cars on the roads today are only level two. Level two autonomy means that there is partial driving automation. This incorporates advanced driver assistance systems, which helps the driver with steering, acceleration, and deceleration. This also incorporates the driver assistance from level one, which includes monitoring speed through adaptive cruise control. 

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The Six Levels of Autonomy 

LEVEL 0
NO AUTOMATION
The driver of the vehicle will perform all of the operations themselves, with no assistance. 

LEVEL 1
DRIVER ASSISTANCE
The vehicle is still in control by the driver, however there are some driver assist features, such as steering or adaptive cruise control. 

LEVEL 2
PARTIAL AUTOMATION
The driver has some automated functions, such as steering and acceleration, however the driver is still required to be fully engaged. 

LEVEL 3
CONDITIONAL AUTOMATION
The driver is still required to be inside of the vehicle, but they do not need to constantly monitor the environment. They must be able to take control of the vehicle when given notice. 

LEVEL 4
HIGH AUTOMATION
The vehicle can perform all driving functions, but not in all conditions. The driver of the vehicle still has the option to control the vehicle. 

LEVEL 5
FULL AUTOMATION
The vehicle can perform all driving functions under all conditions. The driver may take control of the vehicle, or may not have the option to, depending on the vehicle.