Week 2 ISSC660 (Essay Sample)

Systems Engineering: Autonomous Vehicle Development Student’s Name University Course Professor Date Systems Engineering: Autonomous Vehicle Development Systems engineering, according to Haberfellner et al. (2019), is the process of creating operable systems using complex designs to simplify engineering and daily life requirements faced with challenges and constraints. As explained by Buede & Miller (2024), the process brings together different engineering knowledge and skills from fields such as electrical, technology, mechanical, chemical, biological, and any other relevant engineering knowledge for the development of the systems. Notable, an advanced system, more than what traditional engineering creates, is the overall result of systems engineering. One example of such systems is the creation of autonomous vehicles. Autonomous vehicles are self-driving cars that can navigate and steer without the need for human assistance. The cars do not need a driver to guide them as they are created by combining various scientific and artistic disciplines, including robotics, intelligent technology, machine learning, and sophisticated algorithms that support autonomy. According to Chowdhury et al. (2020), systems engineering allows self-driving cars to sense and perceive their immediate surroundings, as well as gather external data using cameras and sensors and analyze it for autonomous decision-making. Systems engineering processes adhere to essential steps in the vehicle development process to produce safe, high-quality, and individually designed autonomous vehicles. Making sure the car satisfies the standards set by regulators and all parties involved in the automotive industry is the first step. Thus, outlined and defined are the requirements for autonomous systems, road performance, safety, and functionality. This stage makes it easier to comprehend user needs, legal frameworks, and the general technical specifications needed to develop cars. The next step, according to Chowdhury et al. (2020), is for systems engineers to design the vehicle's architecture so that it can integrate with all autonomous systems. Notably, most self-driving vehicles have high-end designs for users’ satisfaction since the cars supersede normal vehicles’ requirements and needs for safety and comfort. In the process, interfaces are designed, and all components are aligned for integration and interaction of all sub-systems. After the architecture design, system engineers now integrate the hardware and software to fully develop the vehicle. Here, all hardware is fitted in the design and software is integrated for sensing and autonomous decision-making. After the successful development of the vehicle, tests are performed. The test protocols are necessary to ensure that the autonomous vehicle system meets performance, reliability, and safety requirements. In the process, simulation testing is done to analyze the autonomous decision-making of the vehicle, followed by hardware-in-the-loop testing for performance and safety, and then, the test outcomes will dictate the real-world field testing. Importantly, in the testing process, systems engineers concentrate on performance and safety to ensure the vehicle meets all required standards. Therefore, all risks associated with autonomous vehicles are outlined and strategies are put in place for mitigation. The engineers place fail-safe mechanisms and robust cyberse...