Notable increase in the number of patents related to autonomous cars

The automation of driving reduces the number of accidents and impacts the paint and body repair market. At what speed is the automatization of the vehicle pool happening?

Beyond the current introduction of the advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and the requirement for all cars sold in Europe starting in 2022 to include this system, it can be difficult to visualize when “autonomous cars” on our roads will be a reality.  There are many unknowns to resolve, both technical and legal. However, there is an indicator, the investment in R&D&I in the Automotive industry, that projects the interest of the sector to advance quickly: the number of patents related to autonomous driving grows every year.

If in 2015 the number of patents related to the functions of autonomous cars represented 1,3% of all patents created in driving technology, nowadays this percentage has increased to 4,7%. There is no doubt that the automotive industry is interested in getting involved in this sphere of the market.

According to a recent study by Roland Berger, the change of attitude in numerous countries regarding autonomous cars, by passing regulations aimed at stimulating its development, is contributing to the growth of automatization technology. If in 2017 only three countries (United States, Singapore and the Netherlands) were working on regulations that allowed for the approval of autonomous vehicles, now there are eight, adding to the list the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan and Russia.

In addition to the approvals by these eight countries, another phenomenon is pushing the development of the autonomous vehicle: the opening of test drive roads. If in 2017 only the United States and South Korea had more than ten public roads open for test driving autonomous cars, currently there are ten countries that offer more than ten public roadways to do test drives.