Mobileye CTO Cites Growing OEM 'Interest’ in ‘Level 2-Plus’ Autonomous Cars

There’s a “growing interest” among automotive OEMs in the deployment of “Level 2-Plus” autonomous-driving systems as a "phased" prelude to more advanced Level 3 and Level 4 self-driving vehicles, said Amnon Shashua, chairman and chief technology officer at components supplier Mobileye, on a Wednesday earnings call. Society of Automotive Engineers standard J3016 defines Level 2 as vehicles with automated acceleration, braking or steering features that still must rely on a human to perform most driving functions. Level 2-Plus systems will still need the driver “to be alert,” but they also will be “rich with sensory input” to assist with semi-automated driving, Shashua said. Level 2-Plus systems have the "potential" to be deployed in “significant” volumes in “premium” vehicles, the executive said. “We believe this is going to become the next push -- still Level 2, but very advanced content of driving-assist." Mobileye "separately" will continue work on "Level 3 and Level 4 activities,” he said. SAE defines Level 3 as “conditional” automation and Level 4 as “high” automation, one notch down on the scale from Level 5 “full” autonomy, meaning a self-driving car that requires no human control in any driving scenario. Mobileye is “already engaged” with 10 automotive OEMs on Level 3 and Level 4 deployments, Shashua said. He sees Level 2-Plus adoption beginning in late 2018 or early 2019, he said. Level 2-Plus as an autonomous-driving system “is not perfect in the sense that it can cover all crash situations,” he said. But “critical safety and redundancy” features in higher levels of autonomous driving “add a lot of cost,” he said. Level 2-Plus allows OEMs “to introduce high-content systems and still require the driver to be alert and take responsibility and take control,” he said.