Self-driving and semi-autonomous cars are making huge waves recently, as we are seeing nearly all major automobile manufacturers testing various prototypes and what not. Well Audi has their own little project that focuses on self-driving technology, and they have outfitted a modified A7 with their prototype autonomous system. The vehicle has been extremely promising so far, and it has even completed the longest road trip ever taken by a self-driving car.
Audi has been testing various self-driving car platforms and systems since around 2010, however those early machines do not compare to those found within this special A7. Audi calls the platform the “Audi Piloted Driving” program, and they take existing vehicles and modify them with a range of cameras and sensors to allow the car to drive itself. All of their hard work paid off, and the vehicle has so far been a success.
Back in January the A7 went on the longest journey ever undertaken by a self-driving automobile. The vehicle travel some 560 miles from Silicon Valley in California to Las Vegas, Nevada. Audi tells us that 95% of the journey was completed by the vehicle operating on its own. The A7, nicknamed “Jack”, makes use of an augmented GPS system, multiple sensors, and two radar emitting devices to give the vehicle a sense of its surroundings. The A7 can reach speeds of 70 mph on its own and it can even passes cars and switch lanes by itself. When the car encounters any situations or problems that need human intervention, an alarm will sound and then the driver can take over. Audi partnered with the company Mobileye to make Jack possible. Mobileye develops and produces high-res, 3D video cameras that essential act as the vehicles eyes.
It’s really great to see autonomous vehicles like this A7 accomplish these large road trips, as it just means that we are even closer to self-driving vehicles become a norm. Still as great as self-driving vehicles are, people who are passionate about driving and racing are obviously not fans. However Audi seems like it’s got the right idea: have a vehicle that can drive itself on highways for long distances and what not, yet still have an override system that allows the user to drive the car themselves. This way, you get the best of both words. As technology progresses and companies like Audi continue to test their prototypes, autonomous cars for the masses are just around the corner.
Photo from Audi
