Audi takes a step forward in autonomous driving with its A7 in testing

Audi is involved in the development of autonomous driving, a technology that is becoming more precise and effective in its models. One of the cars being tested in recent days is the new Audi A7, which features, in addition to signal recognition technology and systems that allow it to make long journeys autonomously, improvements that allow it to act, almost, as a human would.

This new step in autonomous driving technology will allow the system developed by Audi to interact in a more natural way with other vehicles. That is, it will behave better and more naturally when overtaking, taking into account variables it previously did not consider.

The car, which has been named “Jack“, now allows, when overtaking a lorry, for example, a larger gap to be left between the car and the lorry being overtaken, just as a human driver would. In addition, it gives advance warning of an upcoming lane change. The system also anticipates the intention of the vehicle behind to start an overtaking manoeuvre, so it decides whether to brake or accelerate, depending on what it “sees” in the following vehicle.

The brain of Audi’s autonomous driving system is controlled by the zFAS by Audi, which collects in real time all the information from the car’s various sensors. It processes this data to create a replica of the car’s surroundings and acts taking all this data into account, calculating the actions it must perform at each moment.

The tests are being carried out on the German A9 motorway, which is prepared for this type of autonomous vehicle traffic. Along its route there are special signals to allow cars to be driven more easily on it. Audi is also testing the next generation of telecommunications, 5G.

At other points in Germany, sensors will be installed at junctions to communicate with autonomous cars and those equipped with compatible systems from 2017, although these systems will not be put into operation until 2018.

Via | Carscoops