Audi A7 Self-Driving Car - In what has come off as a supreme display of confidence in self-driving technology, Audi put a specially built A7 on the road in Silicon Valley on Saturday. The vehicle, nicknamed 'Jack', is expected to arrive just in time for the company's presentation at the ongoing Consumer Electric Show in Las Vegas and will drive itself for a large part of the 550 miles two-day journey.
Reports indicate that while the Audi A7 self-driving car, which reaches up to 70 mph and can reportedly negotiate its way in traffic and even change lanes seems completed, the car still needs to automatically revert to human control in certain conditions; such as when the vehicle approaches an urban area.
Nonetheless, the company says the technology, which it describes as 'Piloted Driving' is 'production ready.'
The Audi A7 self-driving car is fitted with one long-range radar sensor, as well as two mid-range sensors on both its sides to make its sensitivity 360 degrees. A laser scanner, which serves as a sensor, is also mounted behind the grille.
To add to this, the Audi A7 self-driving car is fitted with a high-resolution 3D camera, as well as four other smaller cameras to gather footage from the rear and sides of the car. The information collected by the car's onboard cameras and sensors are sent to a mini computer fitted in the vehicle, which serves as its brain. This computer is responsible for increasing the speed of the Audi A7 self driving car, slowing it down and changing its direction.
The ongoing Audi A7 self-driving car test has gone viral and made the headlines. While experts have applauded the car, many commentators have questioned its safety.
The Audi A7 self-driving car is built to alert its human passenger to take over the controls in certain instances. However, critics say the car, which depends on basic things like street lines and its proximity with other cars to function properly, may not be ready for the market just yet.
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