Audi says it is teaching its self-driving car concept to “show consideration for other road-users”.
The Ingolstadt-based automaker says its Audi A7 Sportback piloted driving concept – which it has nicknamed “Jack” – has been upgraded to be even more adept at operating “just like a human driver”.
Here’s hoping it learns from the right human drivers…
Its autonomously performed motorway driving manoeuvres have been refined, and Audi says it is now particularly proficient at showing consideration for other road-users.
“Jack exhibits a driving style that is adaptive to the given situation, safe and especially interactive – it is a research car with social competence,” the brand said.
It now “confidently” deals with hazardous points on the road, passes trucks with a slightly wider lateral gap, and signals upcoming lane changes by activating the indicator and moving closer to the lane marking first.
This new “co-operative” attitude is also apparent when other vehicles want to merge into its lane on the highway. Here, the test car decides – based on the selected driving profile – whether to accelerate or brake, depending on which is best suited to handling the traffic situation “harmoniously” for all road-users.
The automaker says it is also turning its attention to infrastructure. From 2017, Audi – together with the city of Ingolstadt – will be testing various construction methods, such as the use of different types of pavement, as well as technical solutions, such as the use of sensors in junction zones.
Piloted driving research cars from Audi are already being incorporated into the design of the new infrastructure, with tests scheduled to begin in 2018.
