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johnhlaing-blog · 5 years ago

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Job Opportunities

As technology continues to improve and become more prevalent in our daily lives, some of you may be interested in a career in this field, particularly working on autonomous vehicles. It is something I am definitely looking into and so far, it looks extremely promising. There are a vast range of job opportunities in this field so here are two that I will go more in depth about.

Autonomous Vehicle Systems Engineer

An autonomous vehicle systems engineer is probably the most advanced position in this field. This position usually requires an M.S. degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering with focus on autonomous vehicles or vehicle systems engineering. Obtaining this degree usually requires two additional years on top of the typical four years required to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in the field.

Some certifications that are useful in the field worth mentioning include:

AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate

Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)

Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

Project Management Professional (PMP®)

Obtaining certifications can benefit engineers by giving them more job prospects and higher wages.

Most autonomous vehicle engineers begin as entry-level engineers. These are positions usually filled by fresh graduates. Some of the responsibilities of these engineers include preparing reports and developing plans and cost estimations for various design projects..There is no set amount of experience required for this position. However, to be considered, experience is crucial because this is a high-level position so job recruiters are obviously looking for the most decorated candidate.

Opportunities to get experience include internships, research, clubs/teams, etc. Applications usually require the candidate to show competence in the field. Therefore, engineers should be familiar with writing research papers and reports. These can include informational findings from research and elaboration of data. A good resume is required as always as well, which can include background information of the candidate and credentials. This is an example job listing of an autonomous engineer.

Autonomous Vehicle Operator

Another position in the field that requires less qualifications compared to an engineer is an Autonomous Vehicle Operator. This position is responsible for mastering vehicle operations processes, providing feedback on the technology, etc. The degree required for this position is a B.S./B.A. degree but is not limited to a degree in the same field. For example, the candidate can have a degree in computer science or even accounting and still be able to qualify for the job. Some other requirements for this position include:

Valid US driver's license with at least 7 years of driving experience and a clean driving record

Must have a sound understanding of autonomous vehicle technology

Strong desire to learn new skills and technologies

Strong communication skills, both verbal and written

You are a great collaborator and team player

Experience with Linux Operating System (specific case)

An entry level position in this career path could be something like a bus driver or some sort of driving position. Experience in computer science is also recommended. To obtain this position, the person must show competence in the driving and coding fields. The candidate must have at least 7 years of driving experience and having be familiar with specific operating systems required for the job (i.e. Linux, Python, etc). UC Berkeley currently offers a coding boot camp over the summer in which participants can build a foundation in computer science that is “immediately applicable to the workforce.” Completion of the program rewards participants with the “Berkeley Extension Certificate of Completion” which can be added to their resume and benefit them in their search for a job. More information on this can be found below.

There are certain training programs for this specific position as well. Sears Point Racing assesses drivers based on their ability to adjust to specific situations that can occur in an autonomous car. Internships and programs for coding are recommended as well.

One type of writing that is extremely important for this position is reports. The test driver has to provide detailed feedback on the operating system by reporting on the experience of the drive. This link shows an example of a detailed report these test drivers are required to make. As you can see, the report takes notes of various things such as technology failures, driver disengagements, and a copious amount of data that is kept track of during the drive. This is also a very formal report containing an introduction and body which shows why writing in the discourse community is prevalent and important. As always, good resumes and cover letters are required like they would be for any job. This is an example job posting of an autonomous vehicle operator.

Final Note

There is no wrong option when choosing a job in this field since this is a relatively new and growing industry. The way things are currently going, careers in the field will offer financial stability, good pay, and many other benefits. Also, who wouldn’t want to tell their friends they work on cars that can drive themselves. Sounds pretty awesome to me. Don’t wait until it’s too late, be part of the future.

Resources

https://orfe.princeton.edu/~alaink/SmartDrivingCars/Papers/GoogleDisengagementReport_2015.pdf

This is an example of a report made by an autonomous car driver.

https://bootcamp.berkeley.edu/coding/

This is UC Berkeley’s coding boot camp that occurs every summer. You can learn more about what the program offers here.

https://searspointracing.com/programs-experiences/autonomous-vehicle-operator-training/

This web page gives more information about a training program an autonomous vehicle driver can go through.

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johnhlaing-blog · 5 years ago

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Self-Driving Cars

What exactly is a self-driving car?

Self-Driving cars, otherwise known as autonomous cars, are capable of sensing their environment and operating without human involvement. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) defines 6 levels of driving automation ranging from level 0 which is fully manual to level 5 which is fully autonomous.

To give perspective, the SAE categorizes Teslas as level 2 because they still require the driver’s assistance which just shows the huge room for improvement there still is in this particular field. A more advanced but closed project is Google’s Waymo car. This project started in 2009 and as of right now, is fully autonomous. This car has been seen being tested in relatively low traffic areas, and so far, the results have been promising. According to Waymo, their goal is to eliminate user error which causes 94% of accidents. This video shows how the car works and provides a better understanding of how the car functions overall. Of course, with a project like this, the reliability has to be close to 99% before it is released to the general consumer because of its potential risk.

Importance in the Engineering Community

With the recent rise in popularity of self-driving cars *cough-cough Tesla*, the topic of self-driving cars is being heavily discussed in the engineering discourse community. Communication, usually through the form of reports and research papers, is how experts of the topic transmit information to one another.

“Trust in driver less cars: Investigating key factors influencing the adoption of driver less cars” is a research paper written by Kanwaldeep Kaur and Giselle Rampersad that demonstrates how writing is used in the community. This is a formal research paper with the standard introduction, body, and conclusion. Within the body, the authors mention their findings from the data acquired from tests and previous sources and analyzes them.

Another form of writing these experts can use to convey their information is articles and journals. These genres are mainly used to get information to the general public instead of other engineers. This article by Ann Johnson demonstrates how engineers communicate with the outsider discourse community.

Who exactly is talking about these cars?

The experts of the topic are engineers who focus specifically on self-driving cars. Because engineers are always trying to innovate and improve current systems, many of those in the field are ecstatic about the emergence of autonomous cars. With the SAE categorizing the most advanced self-driving car in production for the public a 2/6 in terms of automation, there is a major room for improvement which engineers are excited about. What this means ultimately for engineers in the community is more job opportunities and the possibility of inventing something that is life changing.

We’ve all seen a movie that takes place in the future with flying cars and taxis without drivers. I’m sure the general public is looking forward to the future in which one day this might be possible. However, there are skeptics who are concerned about the safety of these cars. Recently in 2018, the Tesla autopilot system was found at fault for a fatal car accident. As discussed in the article “Tesla Autopilot System Found Probably at Fault in 2018 Crash” from New York Times, there was a fatal accident caused by a failure in Tesla’s autopilot driver assistance system. Situations like these only increase the concern in the outsider community since these stories are blown out of proportion since they are attention grabbers. If we were to compare user-error accidents to computer-error accidents, the accidents caused by computer error would not even be noticed. Of course, there are other factors such as relative population proportionality and liability, but stories of these new inventions are always something that are taken advantage of by the media.

What is at stake?

Ultimately the careers of the engineers and the safety of the general public are at stake depending on the outcome of how this project goes. On one hand, if this project were to fail, this could cost thousands of jobs for engineers and researchers working on these cars. Engineers specializing in the field would have to relocate to another branch of engineering which increases job competition while reducing job opportunities. Also, the failure of this project could cost catastrophic accidents in the worldly community. Think Skynet... Okay maybe not that extreme, but it is a huge risk putting the lives of millions in the hands of... no one. Who would be responsible if there were to be an accident and even a death? Also, as more of these cars go into production, the odds of these occurrences inevitably rises so unless the development of this technology is near perfect, production at a larger scale should not take place.

I believe what engineers find most intriguing about this topic is its newness and potential. There is still much room for improvement on the design of self-driving cars, and engineers are pushing to make what you see in movies become a reality.

Resources

https://www.synopsys.com/automotive/what-is-autonomous-car.html

This article gives a nice summary on what an autonomous car is and its different features.

https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/22/teslas-computer-is-now-in-all-new-cars-and-a-next-gen-chip-is-already-halfway-done/

This article focuses on Tesla’s current technology and talks about their future plans.

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johnhlaing-blog · 5 years ago

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About the Blog

The goal of this blog is to provide an inside look at a mechanical engineer’s view on the topic of self-driving cars. As many of you are probably aware, self-driving cars, lead by Tesla, are becoming more and more prevalent in life today. As a matter of fact, I don’t remember the last time I left my house to not see one of those darned electric cars. I can go on and on about why I despise those electric cars, but this shouldn’t take away from their technological excellence. As the popularity and demand of autonomous cars increases, I can only imagine them continuing to become better as skilled engineers continue to develop this technology. With a relatively recent introduction to the market, self-driving cars have much room for improvement, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

This blog will hopefully give a glimpse on how these cars are being discussed in the mechanical engineering community, and why they are such a huge topic in this day and age. Mechanical engineering is one of the most diverse and versatile fields of engineering. What I mean by this is that one mechanical engineer can be capable of designing parts for a car, while another can improve the design of your toilet piping. In general, the mechanical engineering discourse community studies objects and systems in motion. These engineers are always looking for ways to improve current designs and innovate and incorporate new technology which is why the emergence of a new topic to study is important to them.

I hope to provide some insight on how these cars function and discuss the major concern of whether or not these cars are safe. I also hope to provide information on some of the many career opportunities in this discourse community and what you need to ultimately succeed as a member in this community. There are a vast range of job opportunities in the field, and it ultimately comes down to what specifically interests you.

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