A CONTROL panel the size of a computer tablet, able to control a driverless car that ‘learns’ as it drives, is being developed by Audi.
The pack will have all the computing power needed for a car to drive itself safely along public roads and avoid unpredictable obstacles.
Working with US autonomous vehicle specialist, Delphi Automotive, Audi expect commercial production of the zFAS controller, using technology from Mobileye and nVidia, will start within two years, reports Bloomberg.
The tremendous computing power provided by this solution corresponds to the complete electronics architecture of a well-equipped mid-size car
The setup offers a single system to interpret data streaming in from a car’s sensors to automate parking and avoid obstacles.
The device will be “the core of future systems for piloted driving,” Audi said in a statement. “The tremendous computing power provided by this solution corresponds to the complete electronics architecture of a well-equipped mid-size car.”
Even more exciting is that Audi plans to have its vehicles learn while they drive. That includes sending data to cloud servers, which process the information with artificial-intelligence software before sending it back to the vehicle.
“The piloted cars from Audi thus learn more every day and with each new situation they experience,” the automaker said.
A driverless Audi RS7 sports saloon won a race against an identical model driven by a human racing driver by five seconds in October and the carmaker has hosted a contest challenging college students to develop software that handles sudden road-condition changes such as falling rocks.
By 2030, vehicles that drive themselves will are expected to realise £40Bn to £54Bn in additional car-industry revenues, according to a study by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. While early self-driving features like lane-assistance and stop-and-go autopilots are already available, full automation may be ready by about 2030, the consulting company has estimated.
