In this blog post, we will examine whether driverless cars can be safer than humans through the driving principles and security technologies of autonomous vehicles.
The field of driverless cars is actively being researched alongside the development of artificial intelligence. In particular, autonomous driving technology is attracting attention for its potential to reduce traffic accidents, alleviate traffic congestion, and provide efficient transportation. However, the concept of driverless cars has not yet been commercialized. In addition, the psychological factor of not being able to control the car oneself is increasing anxiety among consumers who use driverless cars.
Anxiety about driverless cars also stems from real-life accidents. In 2016, an accident involving a driverless car based on Google’s artificial intelligence and a fatal accident involving a driver of a Tesla self-driving car have raised consumer concerns. In addition, on March 24, 2017, an Uber self-driving car was involved in an accident in Arizona during a test drive, colliding with a vehicle next to it and overturning, resulting in the suspension of operations. These accidents, which occurred at several companies, have spread doubts about self-driving cars.
However, these doubts about self-driving cars are based on misunderstandings and psychological anxiety among consumers, who do not understand how they work. To correct this, it is necessary to understand the principles of autonomous driving and have an accurate understanding of driverless cars.
In order for driverless cars to drive, they must first recognize their surroundings using cameras, radar, GPS, and other devices. After collecting various data, it digitizes and transmits all of the data, and then decides which direction to go and at what speed based on that data.
Furthermore, in order to discuss the safety of driverless cars, it is necessary to understand the detailed driving principles. Driverless autonomous vehicles are divided into systems for recognizing the vehicle’s surroundings, systems for determining the vehicle’s absolute position, and systems for avoiding obstacles. They are equipped with cameras, real-time control computers, and computers that process image and laser data. The computers that process the information collect information from the external environment and transmit it via a network. Like a child learning on its own, driverless cars acquire knowledge through constant repetition of processes such as recognition, understanding, avoidance, and processing, and perform driving, braking, and emergency response through a functional driving assistance system.
In order to maintain stability through the system, unmanned vehicles are equipped with independently configured hardware sensors and software so that even if a camera or laser sensor is damaged and does not function, the overall system will continue to operate without any problems. In addition, a vehicle control system is also equipped with a switch that stops the vehicle in case of an emergency, such as an unexpected situation. Each piece of data is transmitted to a computer via a network, and since this data is extracted from the network according to each algorithm module, the algorithm module and sensor module are configured independently, enabling normal operation even if an error occurs in some sensors.
Other factors contributing to the instability of driverless cars include hacking and cyber attacks. This is because the algorithms and data of driverless cars are influenced by artificial intelligence and computer programs. Recently, RSA encryption, which uses prime factorization, has become the mainstream for network and other cyber security encryption. The idea behind RSA encryption is to express important information as two prime numbers, then transmit the product of the two prime numbers with a hint to use as a password. RSA encryption is the most common method. Recently, research is underway on algorithms that reduce the time required for prime factorization through various approaches. However, even with supercomputers, this takes a long time, so RSA encryption can effectively delay attacks.
In preparation for this, quantum cryptography is emerging as a new encryption paradigm to create more secure and robust encryption. Quantum cryptography is an encryption method that applies Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, whereby when a quantum is observed from outside, its state, which was simultaneously 0 and 1, is determined as either 0 or 1. By tracking these changes, it is possible to detect whether someone is eavesdropping on the network, thereby protecting the Internet.
Autonomous vehicles still have some issues in terms of safety and technology. In particular, the technological aspects have been exaggerated by the media, which tends to focus on a few mechanical failures. However, the technology behind driverless cars is equipped with advanced safety features that enable them to drive more safely than ordinary drivers. They are also equipped with advanced security systems to prevent hacking and cyber attacks. It will be rare to hear about accidents caused by driverless cars in the future.
In order to commercialize driverless cars, it is necessary to resolve not only technological issues but also legal and ethical issues. Legal mechanisms must be put in place to clearly define responsibility when autonomous vehicles cause accidents, and standards must be established to enable autonomous driving algorithms to make ethical judgments. Only when these issues are resolved will driverless cars become a part of our daily lives.
