12-5-2017, trucks.com -- Autonomous technology is set to transform the motor industry, but there are no clear paths for manufacturers. As the autonomous mobility industry takes shape, artificial intelligence could play a much bigger role.

The Society of Automotive Engineers uses a classification system of 5 levels of vehicle autonomy based on the amount of necessary driver intervention. Level 1, for example, requires a driver to be in control at all times but allows for automated acceleration and braking. Level 5 requires no human intervention. Most automakers are on the cusp of introducing Level 3 and 4 autonomous vehicles.

The Self-Drive Act passed in September will establish key deadlines for how these technologies will make their way onto the streets and highways. It will allow stakeholders to put up to 100,000 autonomous vehicles on the road for testing purposes by 2021.

The pace at which the technology is developing has created an environment where traditional manufacturers risk being overtaken by tech firms. This is pushing cross-industry collaboration.

Self-driving systems are now based on complex algorithms, cameras and Lidar sensors to create a digital world that helps autonomous vehicles orient their position on the road and identify other vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. Such systems are incredibly difficult to design and produce. They must be programmed to cope with an almost limitless number of variables found on roads.

As the industry looks to machine-learning as the basis for autonomous systems, artificial intelligence could be the next big disruptor.

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