Audi autopilot test drive
I press a couple of buttons, let go of the steering wheel, pedals and start going about my business: texting in messengers, updating my mail and watching YouTube. Yes, this is not a dream
Still, it's great that the national airline doesn't serve wine on morning flights. After boarding the plane to Munich, I was very tempted to skip a paper cup of white dry. But there was no alcohol on the breakfast menu - and it played into my hands. Because upon arrival in the capital of Bavaria, it turned out that the autopilot test still presupposes my participation in driving.
Two prototypes based on the RS7 and A7 Sportback, with which the Germans are testing autonomous control systems, were given human names - Bob and Jack. A tightly tinted Bob stands in an Audi Sphere in one of the terminals at Munich Airport. Its grille and front bumper bear withered droplets of dirty rainwater and insect marks.
Bob arrived here straight from the Nurburgring, where he was winding circles without a driver. And before that, Bobby still managed to dash off several thousand kilometers around the world. On it, first of all, they tested the ability to follow the route specified on the navigator using the GPS signal and write out the correct and safe trajectories of movement. With road data, Bob can not only drive along the track, but do it very quickly. Almost like a professional racer.
His partner Jack is the exact opposite of Bobby. He is law-abiding as much as possible and will never break the rules. Jack is hung in a circle with a dozen cameras, scanners and sonars, which closely study the surrounding reality: they follow the markings, read signs, recognize other road users, pedestrians and obstacles on the road.
After quick processing, they transfer the collected information to a single control unit. Further, on the basis of these data, the electronic "brains" of the autopilot make decisions about the actions of the car and give appropriate commands to the control units for the engine, gearbox, steering mechanism and braking system. And they, in turn, speed up, change the trajectory or slow down the car.
“The only thing that can get in the way of Jack is bad weather. For example, pouring rain or heavy snowfall, ”says an Audi technician as I sit behind the wheel of the A7. "But in such conditions, human vision can fail."
Jack's interior differs from the production car's interior in three ways. Firstly, on the center console, under the standard Audi MMI display, there is another small color screen on which signals to the driver are displayed, as well as the autopilot actions are duplicated.
Secondly, at the base of the windshield there is a diode indicator strip, which, in different glow colors (from pale turquoise to bright red), warns of the possibility of activating the autopilot, as well as of its imminent shutdown. In addition, on the lower spokes of the steering wheel, there are two additional buttons with icons in the form of a steering wheel, by pressing them simultaneously the autopilot is activated.
After a short briefing in demo mode and a destination in navigation, the Audi representative allows the vehicle to start. I leave the airport manually, without any assistance from the autopilot. The autonomous control system we are testing belongs to the third level. This means that it can act independently only on certain sections of public roads. To be more precise, only on suburban roads.
After exiting onto the A9 towards Nuremberg, the indicator at the base of the windshield begins to shine in a turquoise hue. Great - you can turn on the autopilot. The system is activated in a split second after pressing the buttons simultaneously. “Now let go of the steering wheel, pedals and just relax, if you can, of course,” advised the accompanying engineer.
Although Jack himself seems not even opposed to the driver taking a nap. Because he acts like a very experienced chauffeur. Acceleration on the move is correct, deceleration is also quite smooth, and overtaking and changing lanes from lane to lane are soft and without jerks. Jack overtakes the trucks on his way over and over again, and then returns to the original lane, maintaining the speed allowed by the signs.
An imminent Autobahn exit warning appears on the navigation map. A steering wheel-like indicator lights up on the small display and countdown begins. Exactly one minute later, the autopilot will turn off and control of the car will again be on me. At the same time, the indicator under the windshield begins to change color to orange, and 15 seconds before the autopilot is turned off, it turns bright red. I enter the clover exit from the Autobahn on my own. All - we return to the airport.
For a short half hour, I managed to plunge into the near future. There is no doubt that in a couple of years such systems will be installed on production cars. Nobody claims that all new cars will start moving on the roads on their own. For this, at least, it is necessary that they all learn to "communicate with each other."
But the fact that the control of the machine for some long time can be transferred to electronics is a fait accompli. At least, complete solutions for installation on cars are already in front of us. And it seems that in the coming years it will be the fastest growing segment of the market.
Today, not only automakers, but also IT giants, including Google or Apple, are developing autopilots for cars. Recently, even the Russian Yandex has joined this chase.
