RE: Self-driving Audis demonstrated

RE: Self-driving Audis demonstrated

Wednesday 23rd January 2013

Self-driving Audis demonstrated

Entirely automated cars can park themselves by remote control. Lordy.



Audi has built two demonstrators which, it says, are capable of driving themselves.

This is how you'll park your Audi in future
This is how you'll park your Audi in future
The A7 Sportback and A6 Avant showcase Audi’s ‘piloted driving’ system, which uses a series of cameras and sensors combined with adaptive cruise control to enable ‘hands-free’ driving. Audi stops short of saying that the system will allow the car to drive itself under normal driving conditions, but the system does allow the car to park itself with absolutely no driver involvement. It can even do so via remote control from a mobile phone app.

The system works by analysing the car’s surroundings with the use of radar sensors, a wide-angle video camera, eight ultrasonic sensors and a laser scanner. Using the information it determines from these sources, it then helps to steer the car ‘within certain constraints’, and takes care of acceleration and braking for you. The system works whether or not there are lane markings, and will react to cars moving in and out of the lane ahead.

'Grand Theft Auto's graphics have gone downhill...
'Grand Theft Auto's graphics have gone downhill...
So far, so electro-nannyish, then, but the one feature of this system that really caught our eye is the remote control parking function. Simply point your car at a parking space, get out, and with a couple of swipes of the system’s mobile phone interface, or a press of a button on the keyfob, your car will park itself. Blimey.

This is all pretty space-age stuff, but Audi says that these demonstrators show how this technology could be adapted for its future models, meaning you can expect to see it on the options list of Audi’s higher-end models before too long. So, the next time you see an A8 pulling into a car parking space, don’t be surprised if there’s nobody at the wheel...

Author
Discussion

AER

Original Poster:

1,142 posts

269 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2013
quotequote all
Videos or it didn't happen.

ikarl

3,730 posts

198 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2013
quotequote all
AER said:
Videos or it didn't happen.
biggrin

Captain Muppet

8,540 posts

264 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2013
quotequote all
Finally people who can't drive don't have to.

Rochellc01

2,218 posts

140 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2013
quotequote all
Do you think it will have a "Middle lane" mode?

loose cannon

6,028 posts

240 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2013
quotequote all
ahh the final nail in the coffin for those that like driving rolleyes
wont be long now before its the only way you will be allowed to drive on the road hurl

mini me

1,435 posts

192 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2013
quotequote all
AER said:
Videos or it didn't happen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuaxB1AxiQM


TheHeretic

73,668 posts

254 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2013
quotequote all
AER said:
Videos or it didn't happen.
They have videos in an older thread about them. Very old, but get caught behind one in a car park, and grumpy, they are slow.

BraddersCat7

75 posts

134 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2013
quotequote all
Rochellc01 said:
Do you think it will have a "Middle lane" mode?
Thought Audis only had a "Outside lane 95 mph 2 inches off the rear bumper lights flashing horn blaring" Mode

whythem

773 posts

176 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2013
quotequote all
So when it malfunctions and hits someone or something how's that going to work for the insured? Nah, wasn't me! Could be good for scammeras, "er I wasnt driving at the time sir"

Tarico

56 posts

161 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2013
quotequote all
[witty/bhy remark about Audi drivers]

TheHeretic

73,668 posts

254 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2013
quotequote all
Tarico said:
[witty/bhy remark about Audi drivers]
It does seem increasingly predictable.

Superhoop

4,676 posts

192 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2013
quotequote all
whythem said:
So when it malfunctions and hits someone or something how's that going to work for the insured? Nah, wasn't me! Could be good for scammeras, "er I wasnt driving at the time sir"
Surely this is where the problem will be - If the system has a glitch and runs into something in the car park, is that the owners insurance, or Audi's problem?


Nors

1,291 posts

154 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2013
quotequote all
BraddersCat7 said:
Thought Audis only had a "Outside lane 95 mph 2 inches off the rear bumper lights flashing horn blaring" Mode
How original! sleepsleepsleep

Nors

1,291 posts

154 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2013
quotequote all
Superhoop said:
whythem said:
So when it malfunctions and hits someone or something how's that going to work for the insured? Nah, wasn't me! Could be good for scammeras, "er I wasnt driving at the time sir"
Surely this is where the problem will be - If the system has a glitch and runs into something in the car park, is that the owners insurance, or Audi's problem?
Totally this. I guess it would be the owner / 'driver' that would ultimately carry the can though.

cheechm

243 posts

136 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2013
quotequote all
What about one way systems in car parks? Can't be that smart!

Falling Down

4,426 posts

280 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2013
quotequote all
I guess this is the way things will be in the long term future. A car packed full of electronics to do something that most of us can do with ease given that we are competent drivers. If I was a top company exec speccing my fat cat car, I would rather put a chaffeur in there than tick the options list for this. I think some technology is a bit uncool as well. For example, who ticks the options box for the 'keep in lane' warning jobbies that tell you that you are driving down the white lines on the motorway instead of inbetween them? I would wager that those who really need it are not the ones who will be ticking the box!

As for parking by remote control - there is no need for this. Just because there is an "app for that" does not mean it is clever or necessary.

BraddersCat7

75 posts

134 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2013
quotequote all
Nors said:
BraddersCat7 said:
Thought Audis only had a "Outside lane 95 mph 2 inches off the rear bumper lights flashing horn blaring" Mode
How original! sleepsleepsleep
Just a bit of leg pulling, no offence meant

tomoleeds

770 posts

185 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2013
quotequote all
i owned 3 audis in a row and have managed somehow to park them myself, Dont know how.! what a load of BOL###ks

Contigo

3,113 posts

208 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2013
quotequote all
And Audi are tainted? Lol they got the last laugh here with the self-drive number.

Ed.

2,168 posts

237 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2013
quotequote all
Don't see it making its way here anytime soon, remote starters are illegal. I would be more concerned about the phone security than sensors that are usually over sensitive.