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(Informative)

Since 1885, when the first Motorwagen was built, many inventions have made automobiles easier to drive and more responsive to human needs. A short list includes electric ignition starter, car radio, car key, power steering, cruise control, electric windows, intermittent windshield wipers, anti-lock braking system (ABS), digital dashboard displays, electromagnetic parking sensors, on-board diagnostics, mobile connection, satellite navigation, reversing camera, automatic parking, driver assistance features, etc.

Starting from 1939, when the first “self-driving” can was experimented, many efforts have further transformed automobiles from machine entirely driven by humans to machines with some “self-driving” capabilities. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) in the USA has already developed a Level-based classification of cars with some “self-driving” capabilities. Today, self-driving cars are not only technically possible, but commercially available. They promise to bring benefits that will positively affect industry, society, and the environment, such as:

  1. Replacing human error with a machine less prone to errors.
  2. Giving humans more time for rewarding activities, such as interpersonal communication.
  3. Optimising the use of vehicles and infrastructure.
  4. Reducing congestion and pollution.
  5. Supporting elderly and disabled people.

Therefore, the transformation of the “niche market” of today into a vibrant “mass market” of tomorrow will positively impacts society and individuals. One could wait for market forces to produce cars with progressively higher SAE Levels at more affordable prices, but MPAI believes that a standards-driven process of making available component will achieve the goal timely and more efficiently.

MPAI proposed an open standardisation process proposed to be implemented as follows:

  1. Partition of a vehicle with communication and autonomous attributes into subsystems and components.
  2. Definition of a Reference Model that specifies the functional requirements of:
    1. Subsystems and components.
    2. Data Types and Qualifiers exchanged by subsystems and components.

This approach helps:

  1. Research  optimise components with the specified functional requirements.
  2. Component manufacturers bring their standard-conforming components to market when their Data Qualifiers technologies are mature
  3. Car manufacturers access an open global market of components with standard functions and interfaces.
  4. Regulators can oversee testing conformance of component using standard procedures.
  5. Users rely on Connected Autonomous Vehicles whose operation they can explain.

In this Introduction and in the following Chapters, the following conventions apply:

  1. Capitalised Terms are defined in Table 1 if they are specific to this Technical Specification and in Table 2 if they are shared with other MPAI Technical Specifications.
  2. Words beginning with a capital letter have an equivalent word beginning with a small letter represent the “digital twin” of that word.
  3. Chapters and the Annexes are Normative unless they are labelled as Informative.

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