Audi's 900km piloted driving concept successfully completed

The Audi A7 3.0 TFSI Quattro-piloted driving concept proved itself very capable of driving in traffic just as customers do on a daily basis. Journalists who were behind the wheel were impressed with the concept car’s ability to drive comfortably and in the logical user interface for which Audi is known. 

“The results of the test drive underscores our piloted driving competency,” said Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi Board Member for Technical Development. “I’d like to thank the team of Audi engineers, VW Group R&D and the Electronics Research Laboratory for making it such a great success.”

The test drive resulted in actionable data to help further development of Audi piloted driving. Nonetheless, it offered the longest drive at full highways speeds with members of the public behind the wheel. The journalists were able to experience piloted driving in 100-mile stints in various traffic situations on public highways. In total, the drive was 560 miles long (approximately 900 km). As required by State laws in California, an experienced Audi test driver accompanied the drive from the passenger seat.

The concept vehicle utilizes various production-ready sensors as well as sensors integrated into production vehicles today that accurately detect the vehicles surroundings. Adaptive cruise control (ACC) and Audi side assist (ASA) long-range radar sensors as well as mid-range radar sensors at the front and the rear of the vehicle that are directed to the left and right of the vehicle provide the vehicle with a 360 degree view of its environment. Laser scanners are integrated into the front single frame grille as well the rear bumper to srovide additional detailed recognition of static or dynamic objects.

The redundancy of the sensor data consists of a continuous plausibility check during piloted driving to ensure the correct decisions are being made the vehicle and the driver. Four smaller cameras at the front and rear of the vehicle provide short-range information of the surrounding environment. The hi-resolution, wide-angle 3D video camera observes the traffic surrounding the vehicle.

The concept relieves the driver of driving duties from 0 to 70mph, or just over 110kph. The car can initiate lane changes and passing manoeuvres as well as accelerate and brake independently. Before initiating a lane change to the left or the right (on US highways), the vehicle adapts its speed to surrounding vehicles. If the speed and distance calculation is deemed safe, the vehicle initiates the lane change with precision and in a timely manner.

Before the piloted driving system reaches its limitations, in city environments for example, the driver is requested to take control of the vehicle to ensure proper safety. Multiple warning signals work in unison: colored LEDs at the base of the windshield, signals in the driver information display, a Central Status Indicator (CSI), as well as an acoustic warning indicator requires the driver to retake control.