Samsung-developed Level 4 autonomous car system passed a 200km test run

Last updated: May 19th, 2023 at 17:21 UTC+02:00

Samsung is reportedly one step closer to developing a self-driving system almost as good, or as good, as Level 4 autonomous driving. Reportedly, SAIT (Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology) successfully ran and concluded a “driver-free” test from Suwon to Gangneung in South Korea.

A report from the local media says that Samsung’s R&D team created a self-driving algorithm that managed to drive nearly 200km between Suwon and Gangneung without driver intervention.

A self-driving system that doesn’t require driver intervention is considered “Level 4” or “High Driving Automation” (via Synopsys). Self-driving vehicles able to achieve Level 4 autonomy can operate freely in self-driving mode with little-to-no intervention, usually in urban environments where the top speed reaches an average of 50km/h. These Level 4 autonomous vehicles are usually geared for ridesharing services.

Tesla vehicles only support Level 2 autonomous driving

The recent report claims that Samsung installed its self-driving algorithm along with a LIDAR (laser imaging, detection, and ranging) system on a commercially available car (that was not unspecified). The setup successfully passed the ~200km test, as it was able to recognize emergency vehicles, change lanes automatically, and drive on ramps, therefore detecting two connected roads with different heights.

In theory, there are five levels of autonomy (or six, if you count “no autonomy” at Level 0). Level 5 is the highest and offers full automation and a system capable of performing all driving tasks under all conditions without requiring any human interaction or attention.

For reference, a Tesla electric vehicle only achieves Level 2, or partial automation. Not many vehicles are capable of Level 3 automation according to USA standards, but Mercedes-Benz announced the first Level 3 self-driving vehicle earlier this year.

Samsung reportedly developing a Level 4 self-driving system — or being close to finishing it — would be a great deal for the self-driving market, as well as subsidiaries like Harman, who would no doubt integrate this advanced system into its Digital Cockpit and/or Ready Care platforms.