End Public ‘Shadow’ Driving!

The best way to test and train AI for autonomous vehicles is through proper simulation, systems engineering, and an end-state scenario matrix. A veteran engineer explains why the current AV testing paradigm must change.

Autonomous vehicle developers are widely using public “shadow” driving which involves a human in the driver's seat letting go of the steering wheel and ceding control to the system under test to observe how it performs. The fundamental premise of this process is that the vehicle has learned the proper management of possible events which may occur during the maneuvers, and the human observer can react fast enough to stop any negative results from occurring.

It is a myth that public shadow driving is the best or only solution to create a fully autonomous vehicle, for several reasons.