Audi, Mercedes, Bosch and focus on car autonomy.
An autonomous Audi A7 concept car steered itself from San Francisco to Las Vegas for the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). With journalists and engineers being given time 'at the wheel', the vehicle clocked up a record-breaking distance for its passengers of more than 550 miles. The A7 was fitted with sensors and scanners allowing it to make lane changes and passing manoeuvres on the permitted California and Nevada roads.
Meanwhile Mercedes has produced the driverless F015 with a zero-emission hydrogen-electric hybrid engine and a range of 684 miles. It can produce up to 134 horsepower at full tilt (less if using electric power only).
Mercedes F015 concept car Image: Mercedes |
The vehicle uses sensors, lasers, 3D cameras, maps, and Car-2-Car and Car-2-Object communications.
Given that vehicle drivers are said to be responsible for 90% of traffic fatalities, according to Bosch, it is little wonder that the company has developed an automated system which allows cars to drive themselves during traffic jams.
The driver manually turns on the system which recognises that it should follow the car in front. It then uses predictive emergency braking, sensors, radar technology and cameras to serve as the 'eyes and ears' of the car. According to Bosch it reacts faster than a human and adjusts accordingly if, for example, the car in front brakes rapidly.
The German company has installed the system in Jeep Cherokee models at the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and will make it available this year in a series of European cars.