Self-Driving Audi A7 Completes 560-Mile Road Trip
Meet “Jack” – The Audi A7 piloted driving concept.
How do you crash the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas? Showing up in a car that just drove itself most of the way from Silicon Valley is one great way to do it. Thankfully, the only thing that got crashed during the 560-mile voyage was the CES 2015 show and not the high-tech Audi A7 3.0 TFSI quattro piloted driving concept car.
This impressive feat of German engineering, affectionately named “Jack,” embarked from Silicon Valley, California, with journalists on board to experience the historic trip in 100-mile sections, getting up to speeds of 70 mph, changing lanes, braking, and passing without any human input. Utilizing technology available in current production Audi models, such as Adaptive Cruise Control and Audi Side Assist, the car used radar sensors, lasers, and several cameras to provide a constant 360-degree sense of its environment.
The aim of this test drive was to collect data from real-world autonomous driving and demonstrate to the public that self-driving vehicles are capable of providing a comfortable, safe drive in real-world highway conditions.
Road tripping on highways is currently a much easier task for current autonomous vehicles compared to city driving, so the piloted driving system alerts the driver to take control in the city. Think of this A7 as bringing cruise control into the 21st century.
The impressive stunt was part of Audi’s “Next Chapter” presentation at CES, where it will be revealing its latest developments in automotive displays, infotainment, and connectivity. It looks like self-driving cars may be closer to reality than we thought.
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