Audi, the iconic German luxury car brand, has a bold plan to test driverless vehicles in New York. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that Audi will be the first company to evaluate autonomous cars ever allowed in New York. The test will roll out initially in Albany in June.
It is a breakthrough because, in 1971, a law was passed preventing self-driving cars from being tested in the state.
Audi Q7 learns from both the driver and the road in every mile it travels.
However, the state legislature passed a new law this Spring, which gave companies one year to test autonomous cars on New York roads. The new law requires car companies to insure their vehicles for $5 million and pay for police escorts.
New York has been chosen for the test because it is a nationwide leader in innovative highway safety programs.
According to Albany Business Review, Audi is the first company to test self-driving vehicles in New York. It is also the first one to be approved under the year-long trial program.
Audi of America will test and demonstrate cars that have Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) Level 3 automation. Cars that are considered SAE are able to handle ‘automated driving at posted highway speeds when specific conditions are met.’
In the course of the testing, two engineers are going to be inside the car to monitor the system. One of the engineers will be in the front seat, while the other one will be in the back seat.
Scott Keogh, the President of Audi of America, says “we have been leading the way in the development of piloted driving technology for more than a decade now, and testing in real-world environments is a key step in our pursuit to safer roads.”
The New York State Police have already pre-approved Audi’s vehicle routing information for the Albany exhibit. Its application was also supported by the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Audi and NVIDIA Team Up With Driverless Car
Tech Crunch says Audi is working with NVIDIA to bring a self-driving AI vehicle to the market by 2020. Both companies have been working together for 10 years now.
Alongside NVIDIA, the companies have developed for an Audi Q7 that utilizes neural networks and end-to-end deep learning on the platform of artificial intelligence in order to navigate a course.
Audi Q7 learns from both the driver and the road for every mile it travels. The vehicle can also handle situations like roadblocks, construction, and changes in weather.
Discussed in Automotive Fleet, the next generation Audi A8 is going to feature Traffic Jam Pilot. Audi A8 uses a central driver assistance controller that will provide drivers the option to turn over throttle, steering, and braking functionality to the vehicle at speeds of up to 35 mph.
Tesla, Ford, and GM are just some of the major car companies that are testing autonomous vehicles right now. They are investing more than $1 billion in self-driving cars. Big technology companies such as Google, Lyft, Apple, and Uber are also doing the same.
Audi envisions a safe vehicle for their customers with cutting edge technology. The innovation of cars is a growth market and Audi is doing its best to stay ahead of the curve.