Mobility has always been an intrinsic part of human development. With globalization, the innovation and utilization of advanced automation came into practice. The beginning of 21st century challenged the era of innovation due to political, technological and economic repercussions. There have been significant developments in automation over the last decade especially the way people move on a daily basis. These advancements have empowered both government and private sector organizations to accelerate the adoption of safe, reliable, renewable and economical modes of automation.
To stay ahead in the automotive industry, most of the organizations have started working closely with government authorities to ensure smooth flow of production processes and early adoption of autonomous vehicles at local level. Organizations have realized the urgency of connectivity, automation and impact of new drive solutions to thrive under competitive pressures. Today, vehicles are equipped with driver assistance systems, display and infotainment systems; many of them have become more sophisticated, comfortable and safer on the road.
The UAE has been one of the fastest countries across the globe and in the Arab world to implement the latest technological infrastructure and develop safer roads accelerating digital transformation in every aspect of human life. The UAE edged up one place to eighth position, performing well in technology infrastructure and the willingness of its people & government to embrace driverless cars, according to KPMG’s annual Autonomous Vehicles Readiness Index 20201. It is inspiring and contented to know that Dubai Autonomous Transportation Strategy2 aims to transform 25 per cent of the total transportation in Dubai to autonomous mode by 2030- within a decade from now. The strategy is expected to bring AED 22 billion in annual economic revenues in several sectors by reducing transportation costs, carbon emissions and accidents, and raising the productivity of individuals as well as saving hundreds of millions of hours wasted in conventional transportation. A futuristic and a very clear vision of the Emirate has further strengthened the commitment of the industry leaders to expand their businesses in the UAE.
The KPMG report also stated that the UAE scored highest among the 30 countries on measures of change & readiness for new technology infrastructure and mobile data speeds, as well as the willingness of people to embrace driverless cars. With the implementation of new technologies, comes new laws for the safety of the UAE community. The authorities will be assessing and signing off on the technical and safety standards of trials of the vehicles, including defining where tests can take place and the speed limit3. The country also ranked third4 on a measure of the efficiency of its legal system in challenging regulations.
Automakers have already made substantial developments at the first two SAE levels5 of automated driving. The SAE Level 1 which was about driver assistance system performing either sustained longitudinal or lateral vehicle motion control; at SAE Level 2 of autonomy, it has moved to the system performing both sustained longitudinal and lateral vehicle motion control in defined use cases in order to support the driver. The automakers have already started strengthening their autonomous capabilities that meet SAE Level 3 & 4 standards; which is conditionally automated driving to highly automated driving.
With the adoption of automated and connected driving as the bright future of mobility and a goal to completely eliminate the risk of fatal accidents, it becomes important to equip the vehicles with more advanced safety technologies and automated driving features, so our roads can become safer than ever. The availability of AI and IoT connected devices has simplified and advanced the integration of safety systems in the vehicles but most importantly, to achieve a new level of occupant protection- it is essential for the manufacturers to adopt these new technologies for safer roads. The already available intelligent connectivity components have managed to increase vehicle safety and provide greater occupant protection from injury in the event of an accident. As a responsible global citizen, I would urge all the industry leaders and organizations to continue to advance their solutions to create safer roads, contribute to reducing emissions, create a sustainable environment and make the world a better place for the generations to come.
1https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/technology/uae-moves-up-a-spot-…
2https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/strategies-initiatives-and-awards/local-go…
3https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/transport/dubai-enacts-new-rules-for…
4 Same as footnote 1
5https://www.bosch-mobility-solutions.com/en/highlights/automated-mobility/