The World’s First “Smart AI Cruise Control”

By now, most higher-end cars will have built-in cruise control functionality. If you’ve never experienced it for yourselves, the first time can feel a bit odd, as we all have our own driving experiences and quirks. It is with this mindset that Korean carmaker Hyundai’s idea of a smart AI comes into play. The carmaker claims to have developed what it claims to be the world's first "Machine Learning-based Smart Cruise Control (SCC-ML)", a technology that incorporates the driver's patterns into its self-driving behaviour.

The current adaptive cruise control allows the driver to choose a set speed, but can also automatically slow down and speed up again when following other vehicles. There are also many systems that work right down to a standstill and can restart when the traffic starts moving again.

However, Hyundai's SCC-ML adds another dimension to the cruise control, in which the system learns the driver's patterns and habits on its own. Through its AI machine learning, it autonomously drives in an identical pattern to that of the driver. The system uses sensors such as the front camera and radar to constantly acquire driving information and send it to the computer. The computer then extracts relevant details from the gathered information to identify the driver's patterns.

To operate the Smart Cruise Control, the driver has to first manually adjust the driving patterns. The system then splits the driving patterns into three categories: the distance from preceding vehicles, acceleration, and responsiveness. In addition, driving conditions and speeds are considered as well. Taking into account these various conditions, SCC-ML makes an analysis to distinguish over 10,000 patterns and can adapt to any driver's patterns, and it is not possible to meticulously fine-tune the settings to accommodate individual preferences

But what if the driver’s driving pattern is particularly bad? This is probably one of the biggest questions that people will have about a self-learning AI that operates your car. Hyundai is quick to claim that the SCC-ML won't pick up unsafe driving habits. Additionally, the system is programmed to adapt to your driving style as it evolves over time.

With such an amazing technology coming to our cars, it’s only a matter of time before we can achieve the dream of a fully automated AI vehicle.