Autonomous Vehicle QuickStart Primer - A Business and Technology Survey of the Autonomous Vehicle Space

The Autonomous Vehicle QuickStart Primer by Dr. Rahul Razdan is valuable for anyone connected to the transportation industry who wants a basic understanding of the impact of the new wave of electronics and software technology that’s about to transform this world. The book is aimed at professionals who seek insights into the fundamentals of AV technology, business, and regulation, but it doesn’t cover deep engineering and is not highly technical. Instead, it offers a firm foundation of the megatrends driving this technological revolution, the way these technologies intersect with the current transportation system, and the potential for disruptive change.

The book takes a look at challenges in the areas of public policy, regulations, safety, legal, and insurance frameworks that are currently being debated, and the pilot programs being implemented in some areas. It touches on the current state of the technology and transportation industries, citing the development of economy-shaping technologies and the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (MI), and Internet of Things (IOT). It also provides a high-level explanation for how AVs function by explaining how they perceive, avoid, and react to obstacles.

Dr. Razdan is the CEO of the Raztech Research Institute, a technology based research institute that incubates ideas in the intersection of technology and society. He’s a leading authority in the field of AV vehicles with an extensive background in computing from his work at Carnegie-Mellon and Harvard Universities. He has written extensively on this topic at SAE with the landmark SAE Edge reports and on his Forbes transportation column. This book can be read as a stand-alone or use as a companion to SAE’s Autonomous Vehicles for Transportation Professionals on-demand course.