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Funny how difficult this was to find: http://www.audiusa.com/newsroom/topics/2014/piloted-driving http://www.audiusa.com/newsroom/topics/2014/piloted-driving

Funny how difficult this was to find: http://www.audiusa.com/newsroom/topics/2014/piloted-driving http://www.audiusa.com/newsroom/topics/2014/piloted-driving Audi has developed a philosophy and strategy for autonomous driving that it calls “piloted driving.” The name accurately reflects the Audi approach to this important and growing field of technology and aspect of the ownership experience: Give the Audi driver a digital “pilot” to guide the trip and assist in making it to his or her destination safely. Yet don’t usurp outright operating control of the vehicle or diminish the joy and satisfaction of driving that is a huge part of the Audi ownership experience. Making it clear exactly which entity is in control at each moment also is crucial, so Audi piloted driving emphasizes human-machine interface prompts to accomplish this. Illustrative of this approach is one automated-driving feature that Audi continues to define, called a “congestion pilot.” It relieves the driver of the task of driving while the system automatically accelerates, brakes and steers the vehicle, at speeds up to about 37 mph. Once the traffic jam disperses or the end of the highway has been reached, the driver is prompted to take back control. If the driver fails to respond, the system safely brings the car to a standstill.

darklajid 11y ago
The ACC already does most of this (i.e. accelerate and brake, even to a stand-still if you're not driving manual ofc). It doesn't steer yet, but .. I'd guess that most traffic jams are rather straight? The automated brake thing exists as well in todays Audis. It randomly beeps if you're driving around a corner and sometimes hits the brakes at speeds below 30km/h (in a traffic jam, for example) for no reason. I'd trust a drunken and tired driver in a big LandRover more than any Audi technology, based on my anecdotes/my experience with three generations of A3s (currently the quattro 8V chassis/model).
- haser_au 11y ago
  I have the 2015 A3, with the driver assistance package (including adaptive cruise control) and use it every day. I drive ~35 miles/50 minutes each way to work, and would have the cruise on for all of the motorway driving (75% of the journey in time, 98% of the journey in distance). And I swear by it. I'll be doing 70mph, and come across traffic that's doing 50mph. The adaptive cruise detects this, and slows the vehicle. When traffic continues to build up, and eventually stops, so does the vehicle. When the traffic starts again, you tap the accelerator and the cruise kicks in again. It speeds up, based on the speed of the car in front, back to your set limit. So, I've just gone from 70mph to 0mph to 70mph without touching a brake and tapping the accelerator once. I've also been cut off, by a motorbike, and the car's technology has detected that and braked safely. It's a bit rough on the brakes sometimes, and the acceleration could be smoother from a stand-still, but I continue to use it so that should be testament enough that it's reliable.
  - darklajid 11y ago
    I think we agree on what the system offers (ACC at least). I'm driving manual, so it cannot do the same for me and that's obviously not the fault of Audi. That system works reasonably well, as in 'slows down and accelerates', which is what the GP found out about this 'new' thingy that is advertised prominently on HN. The random brakes I was talking about (and the annoying beeps) are from the Pre-Sense tech or whatever they tend to call it. The "I detect that you'll have an accident in the next moment" assistant. Which in my experience either beeps just because (you're driving around a corner and the car seems to believe that you drive straight in the rails or something) or randomly (only if below 30km/h, thank god! Above that it "just" beeps) hits the brakes to avoid a collision. It's a nightmare. The rest of the car is in similar shape. So ACC: Yeah, kinda works here as well.
    - robmcm 11y ago
      I find pre-sense works well, the only issue I have had is when you want approach a car that is turning left/right and pull out (around it) at the last second. The car doesn't know you are both steering in the opposite directions to avoid the collision will either beep, or in one scenario has applied the breaks (only to remove them once the car in front was no longer in view). In general I really like the ACC, although it really high lights the inconsistency in other drivers speed (often for no apparent reason). It also isn't as clever as a driver, so you are constantly sat there observing things it can't and waiting for it to notice like a car about to pull into your lane. Another annoyance is that it will slow down for cars that you can see are moving out of your lane, or turning off, when continuing a the same speed would have been fine. I also have the auto dimming head lights, although they too are a little dumb. They respond to seeing the oncoming car's lights, by which time you have blinded the driver of the other car. They are not clever enough to see the lights coming around a corner, and also sometimes miss a motorbike, or mistake a reflective sign for a car. They also don't work at junctions :( Peraps next time I will drop the head lights for side assist.
      - darklajid 11y ago
        Side Assist (that's the warning light in the mirrors, right?) is the ONE assist feature that I use and love. Flawless. Useful. I recommend it :) Lane assist is silly, doesn't do jack and constantly beeps at you to take back control over the car if you drive 'too straight' (hands on the wheel, mind you). Head lights: Same issue. I .. don't use those anymore, feeling bad about people both coming into my direction and driving in front of me. That's just insane. I'm easily blinded myself and just don't feel that I can use the lights without being an ass. Basically this car had close to every feature checked off and by now I'm quite annoyed (keyless entry is broken as well, constantly bitches that I need to replace the batteries - which I did a couple times by now - only to work fine again sometimes. Don't get me started on the Audi connect feature set.. The saddest thing in history, really. You can send your coordinates to Twitter or share your ETA on Facebook!)

darklajid 11y ago

The ACC already does most of this (i.e. accelerate and brake, even to a stand-still if you're not driving manual ofc). It doesn't steer yet, but .. I'd guess that most traffic jams are rather straight? The automated brake thing exists as well in todays Audis. It randomly beeps if you're driving around a corner and sometimes hits the brakes at speeds below 30km/h (in a traffic jam, for example) for no reason. I'd trust a drunken and tired driver in a big LandRover more than any Audi technology, based on my anecdotes/my experience with three generations of A3s (currently the quattro 8V chassis/model).

haser_au 11y ago
I have the 2015 A3, with the driver assistance package (including adaptive cruise control) and use it every day. I drive ~35 miles/50 minutes each way to work, and would have the cruise on for all of the motorway driving (75% of the journey in time, 98% of the journey in distance). And I swear by it. I'll be doing 70mph, and come across traffic that's doing 50mph. The adaptive cruise detects this, and slows the vehicle. When traffic continues to build up, and eventually stops, so does the vehicle. When the traffic starts again, you tap the accelerator and the cruise kicks in again. It speeds up, based on the speed of the car in front, back to your set limit. So, I've just gone from 70mph to 0mph to 70mph without touching a brake and tapping the accelerator once. I've also been cut off, by a motorbike, and the car's technology has detected that and braked safely. It's a bit rough on the brakes sometimes, and the acceleration could be smoother from a stand-still, but I continue to use it so that should be testament enough that it's reliable.
- darklajid 11y ago
  I think we agree on what the system offers (ACC at least). I'm driving manual, so it cannot do the same for me and that's obviously not the fault of Audi. That system works reasonably well, as in 'slows down and accelerates', which is what the GP found out about this 'new' thingy that is advertised prominently on HN. The random brakes I was talking about (and the annoying beeps) are from the Pre-Sense tech or whatever they tend to call it. The "I detect that you'll have an accident in the next moment" assistant. Which in my experience either beeps just because (you're driving around a corner and the car seems to believe that you drive straight in the rails or something) or randomly (only if below 30km/h, thank god! Above that it "just" beeps) hits the brakes to avoid a collision. It's a nightmare. The rest of the car is in similar shape. So ACC: Yeah, kinda works here as well.
  - robmcm 11y ago
    I find pre-sense works well, the only issue I have had is when you want approach a car that is turning left/right and pull out (around it) at the last second. The car doesn't know you are both steering in the opposite directions to avoid the collision will either beep, or in one scenario has applied the breaks (only to remove them once the car in front was no longer in view). In general I really like the ACC, although it really high lights the inconsistency in other drivers speed (often for no apparent reason). It also isn't as clever as a driver, so you are constantly sat there observing things it can't and waiting for it to notice like a car about to pull into your lane. Another annoyance is that it will slow down for cars that you can see are moving out of your lane, or turning off, when continuing a the same speed would have been fine. I also have the auto dimming head lights, although they too are a little dumb. They respond to seeing the oncoming car's lights, by which time you have blinded the driver of the other car. They are not clever enough to see the lights coming around a corner, and also sometimes miss a motorbike, or mistake a reflective sign for a car. They also don't work at junctions :( Peraps next time I will drop the head lights for side assist.
    - darklajid 11y ago
      Side Assist (that's the warning light in the mirrors, right?) is the ONE assist feature that I use and love. Flawless. Useful. I recommend it :) Lane assist is silly, doesn't do jack and constantly beeps at you to take back control over the car if you drive 'too straight' (hands on the wheel, mind you). Head lights: Same issue. I .. don't use those anymore, feeling bad about people both coming into my direction and driving in front of me. That's just insane. I'm easily blinded myself and just don't feel that I can use the lights without being an ass. Basically this car had close to every feature checked off and by now I'm quite annoyed (keyless entry is broken as well, constantly bitches that I need to replace the batteries - which I did a couple times by now - only to work fine again sometimes. Don't get me started on the Audi connect feature set.. The saddest thing in history, really. You can send your coordinates to Twitter or share your ETA on Facebook!)