MIT Technology Review have put Audi AG on the list of “50 Disruptive Companies” in recognition of the piloted driving project it presented at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Detroit.
Every year, the review look for companies all over the world that have announced groundbreaking technologies. Audi’s technology is based on their adaptive cruise control with stop & go function, and is enhanced by a lateral guidance system. Two radar sensors monitor an area up to 250 meters (820.21 ft) ahead of the vehicle at a 35-degree scanning angle. A wide-angle video camera monitors the lane markings and can also detect objects such as other vehicles, pedestrians and guardrails. Eight ultrasonic sensors monitor the zones directly in front of the car and at its corners. There is also a laser scanner that supplies high-precision data gathered at an angle of about 140 degrees and as far as 80 meters (262.47 ft) ahead of the front of the car.
In the words of Audi Board of Management Chairman Rupert Stadler: “We are greatly honored to be included in the group of the world’s most innovative companies. It shows that Audi is well equipped for the future.” “As summed up in its slogan ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’, Audi is up among the leaders in the integration of electronic and electromechanical systems,” says Wolfgang Dürheimer, Board Member Technical Development, AUDI AG. “Piloted driving is a logical step for Audi, based on the in-car assistance systems already in use.”
