Audi's Piloted Drivin is Closer to Becoming a Reality

Over the last decade, Audi has been engineering "piloted driving” vehicles, or cars that drive themselves. And the technology is already being tested with amazing results. For example, a driverless TTS was programmed to stencil Audi's four rings into an empty salt lake bed and the same TTS drove up Pike's Peak without a driver.

More impressively, in January a piloted Audi A7, nicknamed "Jack,” completed a 550-mile journey from Silicon Valley to Las Vegas. That drive pushed the piloted A7 to maneuver in congestion, make lane changes, and operate at speeds up to 70 mph.

Now, Audi says "piloted driving” might be coming in the near future, with new systems being design and tested currently. In fact, many of the sensor- and laser-guided systems that power piloted driving are already used in Audi's Adaptive Cruise Control and Side Assist systems.

How Does Piloted Driving Work?

Piloted driving is powered by a range of extremely accurate sensors, lasers and cameras affixed to the Audi. For example, the front and rear sensors that are used in Adaptive Cruise Control are utilized by piloted driving, as is a 3D camera, side sensors and a grille-mounted laser that provides highly sensitive data to the vehicle.

Currently, Audi is developing systems that can:

Maneuver in Congestion

Built on top of Audi's Adaptive Cruise Control system, this functionality will enable the vehicle to maneuver on congested expressways, traveling in speeds up to 40 miles per hour. The system utilizes a front camera system, which detects lane markers and vehicles, as well as up to 12 sensors around the perimeter of the vehicle. Once the congestion is dissipated, the driver is asked to take control of the wheel.

Park the Vehicle

Here's something truly novel: Audi's is developing a "piloted parking” system, which enables drivers to get out of their vehicle and park the car remotely using a smartphone or key FOB. Using 12 sensors, four top-level cameras and a laser, the vehicle moving into position, the vehicle will stop if an obstruction is detected. For safety, the system only operates if the key FOB is nearby. Once in park, the system shuts down the engine and locks the doors.

 

Audi A7's 550-Mile Drive Without A Driver

Earlier this year, Audi debuted the technology at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. And Audi made quite the entrance. Several journalists "drove” the A7 from Silicon Valley to Las Vegas, after undergoing training in Arizona.

During the test drive, the Audi A7 Sportback was able to make lane changes and overtake vehicles, and it demonstrated its automatic acceleration and braking technology. The lane change works using the sensors. They adjust the speed of the vehicle to match that of nearby vehicles, and then calculates proximity data to ensure a lane change is safe.

One reason the system is so accurate is that many different sensors provide redundant data. These components ensure extreme accuracy, and enable the vehicle to fine-tune the location of nearby moving vehicles and objects.

So what happens in city environments? In highly trafficked areas, the driver is prompted to take over the driving. The vehicle uses several warning systems to prompt the driver, including colored LED lights, warnings on the display, as well as audio warnings. If the driver does not retake control, the vehicle slows, stops and turns on the warning lights.

So when will piloted Audi's be available on the open market? Well, Audi says the technology is nearing a stage that it could hit the production line at scale. But yet, as driverless technology is so nascent, it's still yet to be determined when it will be approved by federal oversight agencies. But the good news: Audi is poised to be one of the first automakers to delivered driverless vehicles. Now, we'll just have to wait.