Audi plays out sci-fi role in new A8 sedan
AUDI teased its R8 in the 2004 sci-fi flick I, Robot, in which the then upcoming supercar packed a number of future technologies like autonomous driving. But while the two succeeding generations of the R8 delivered on many of the systems proposed by the concept version, it’s in the new A8 where Audi debuted its Artificial Intelligence (AI) and latest active suspension systems.
Audi said its AI traffic jam pilot is the “world’s first system that enables highly automated driving at Level 3, where the car takes over the task of driving only in certain situations.” Level 2, Audi explained, means the driver relinquishes control of the car but must take back control whenever the system prompts him/ her to.
When activated on a freeway where a physical barrier separates the opposite lanes, AI traffic jam pilot takes over driving at speeds up to 60 kph. This, Audi said, allows the driver to relax or focus on activities supported by the vehicle infotainment system. A camera monitors if the driver is falling asleep, over which the system issues a series of warnings. Audi said its AI remote parking pilot and remote garage pilot lets the A8 to independently slot into a parallel or rightangle parking space. Both systems access the steering, accelerator, brakes and transmission controls. The driver, who may not be in the vehicle, can activate and monitor the systems from a smart phone through the myAudi app.
For its part, the A8’s active suspension, based on a 48-volt electrical system, allows each of the car’s wheels to individually adapt to road conditions. Through a front camera, the A8 can detect bumps on the road and adjusts the suspension, virtually eliminating any vibration and jolt. Also fitted with air suspension, the A8 delivers an entirely new driving experience in which comfort and dynamism are combined, Audi said.