Key To Driverless Cars, Operational Design Domains (ODD), Here’s What They Are, Woes Too

Dr. Lance B. Eliot, AI Insider

Need standardized definitions for Operational Design Domains (ODD) for self-driving cars

When I got my very first car, I was so excited to be driving my own car that I opted to drive everywhere that I could think of.

I drove all throughout my local neighborhood and honked my horn as I drove past the homes of friends of mine. I drove beyond my community and took the freeway to go visit friends that lived in the inner-city areas. I drove down to the beach, parked at the edge of the sand, and took a picture of me and my car, including as a backdrop a dramatic sunset and the rays of the sun glinting off the ocean, adding a picturesque look to my shiny new automobile.

The next day, I took some friends up to the snowy mountains. I had made sure to buy snow-chains for my tires and it was my first foray into putting them on and seeing how the car handled on icy roads and in light snowy conditions.

Upon returning from the mountains, a good friend suggested we head out to the desert. The mountain trip had involved freezing cold temperatures. Perhaps by going to the dry and hot desert, we’d be able to unfreeze and gain back our normal body temp. With my still brand-new car, we drove on a somewhat barren highway and headed out to the middle of the desert.

Not being content with “only” having driven in the city, the suburbs, the mountains, and the desert, I decided that the next adventure with my car would be to the forest. So, I packed my camping gear into the car and drove up to the redwoods.

As I headed back home, the forest got deluged with quite a rainstorm. Driving out of the woods was a bit tricky as some of the roads began to flood.

One other thing that I encountered was a lot of potholes and other marred roadway aspects. Because of the rain on the road, I was not able to readily discern where the cracks and gaps in the asphalt existed.

Each of these road trips involved encountering varying kinds of roadway conditions. There are some places that I could drive, and some places that I could not readily drive, often times dictated by the nature of the road or the weather conditions or other factors. And, limited too my own driving ability (I’m somewhat squeamish…