Next Audi A8 Will Drive Itself on the Highway

Audi will make sure owners of the next-generation A8 don’t dread highway driving. 

The German automaker revealed to Digital Trends at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show that the new A8 will feature a self-driving system called “Traffic Jam Pilot” that will take over driving duties on congested highways while the car is between the speeds of 37 and 50 mph. The production system will be based on the same technology found in the self-driving A7 that recently made the trip from Silicon Valley to Las Vegas for CES.

SEE ALSO: Self-Driving Audi A7 Heads to CES from Silicon Valley

It uses externally-mounted 3D cameras, radar and infrared sensors to monitor the road and traffic ahead, while the interior will monitor the driver’s eyes with a pair of cameras. The vehicle will even alert the driver if they begin to fall asleep, look away from the road or if the car needs to be taken control of for any reason. If the alarm doesn’t work or the driver doesn’t respond, the A8 will bring itself to a stop.

In other words, the self-driving technology won’t make it easier for drivers to read their cell phones or take a nap in traffic while the vehicle operates itself. The car will just take care of the hard work – steering, braking or accelerating through stop-and-go traffic.

[Source: Digital Trends]

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