Page - (000165) - in Autonomes Fahren - Technische, rechtliche und gesellschaftliche Aspekte

1538.2 Autonomous driving from an innovation policy perspective by the use cases described in the chapters by Wachenfeld (Ch. 2, see also Beiker in this book Ch. 14). Autonomous vehicle technology development paths range from incremental (e. g. automatic braking systems and transmission systems) to larger (automated crash avoidance safety systems and autonomous valet parking) to revolutionary changes to existing systems (fully autonomous vehicles in regular traffic) (for a definition and nomen- clature see e. g. [25]). Depending on the state of a technology and the degree to which it has been implemented, there are different policy implications and regulatory intervention needs. Different technological and use paths place different demands on the policy system. Incremental technological changes can usually be addressed with relatively minor changes to existing regulatory frameworks. More radical technological changes, such as the fully autonomous vehicle, will require deeper regulatory interventions as well as societal aware- ness raising and acceptance. The information and communication technologies (ICT) used in autonomous vehicles could also raise various questions related to data protection and storage although this will depend very much on the kind of technologies employed (Ch. 24). Certainly one of the changes visible in relation to the emergence of autonomous vehicle technology is the emergence of new stakeholders. The technologies involved have widened the field of actors engaged in transport policies and led to the formation of new political coalitions. The ICT industries are important stakeholders in autonomous vehicle technol- ogies and policies. Auto manufacturers and other players (like Google) are both in compe- tition in the development of prototypes and in co-operation with each other in an effort to achieve a more favorable regulatory environment for the testing of autonomous vehicle technology. The commercialization of autonomous vehicles is envisioned in the coming years by some manufacturers although there is considerable uncertainty as to when and if the tech- nology will be made commercially available any time soon. Conditions for commercializa- tion may also vary significantly country to country depending on road traffic conditions. While there are many questions as to whether commercialization is realistic in the near future, expert communities are urging regulators to prepare. In some jurisdictions (espe- cially in the United States) early preparatory steps for potential deeper regulatory changes are being taken. The speed and quality of advancements in autonomous driving technologies will impact demands for political intervention and steering. Many political interventions are driven by technological advancements. In the case of incremental technology development, there may be a parallel process of incremental regulatory changes, licensing decisions, or in- crease or decrease in financial or other political support schemes. Incremental technological changes can be researched from the perspective of systems innovation theory, where innovations are understood as a result of multilateral interaction processes among firms, industries, organizations, and institutional frameworks [13], [14]. In the case of more revolutionary technological developments, which result in more dis- ruptive changes to the status quo, politicians may be forced to make rapid and major regu-