Intelligent and Connected

This article reviews the research and development of automated connected vehicles that aim to reduce road accidents, money, fuel, and conserve environment. Major automotive companies have added automated functions to their vehicles, and various driver assistance systems—adaptive cruise control, video-based lane analysis, and steering and braking assistance—are currently available on high-end models. Automated systems can assess some traffic situations faster than humans can. As a result, automated driving is expected to significantly reduce accidents and traffic fatalities, improve traffic flow and highway capacity, achieve better fuel efficiency, and reduce emissions. However, on the way towards fully automated driving, many challenges need to be addressed. There are technology issues, including reliability, and non-technical issues of cost, regulation, and legislation. In order to accelerate the development of fully automated connected vehicles, there is a need for a cooperative approach. A practical evolutionary roadmap can be developed by an interdisciplinary panel of experts representing major car companies, government agencies, research centers, and academia.