The new Audi A8: future of the luxury class | LMT Cars

LMT Cars: Audi A8 Features and Technology
Audi takes a decisive step towards autonomous driving with the new A8. The basic condition that this car satisfies is its comprehensive, permanent sensing of its surroundings. The flagship accomplishes this with a new, complete set of sensors. The full set comprises

twelve ultrasonic sensors on the front, sides and rear,
four 360 degree cameras on the front, rear and exterior mirrors,
one front camera on the top edge of the windscreen,
four mid-range radars at the vehicle’s corners,
one long-range radar on the front,
one infrared camera (night vision assist) on the front,
one laser scanner on the front.

There have previously been several control units, each evaluating the information they pick up for a defined function. Now for the first time, a central driver assistance controller (zFAS) permanently forms a comprehensive image of the surroundings from the sensor data – for a wide range of assistance functions. This is created by complementary sensor systems, plus redundant data fusion in the zFAS and the radar control unit. All assistance systems benefit from the central model of the surroundings – whether adaptive driving assistant, active suspension, park assistance function or traffic jam pilot. Traffic signs are combined with data from a digital map; crossing assist draws on the comprehensive field of activity, as does the emergency braking function, which has been optimized in quality and effect by the redundant design. The zFAS, around the size of a tablet computer, makes its debut in the new A8. It is a high-tech data center that integrates high-performance computers from NVIDIA (Tegra K1), ALTERA (Cyclon V), Infineon (Aurix) and the image processor EyeQ3 from Mobileye, the world leader for image processing algorithms in the automotive context.

World first in the top segment: the laser scanner
Audi presents a further world first in the guise of the laser scanner. Mounted in the front bumper, this component roughly the size of a fist emits light pulses on several vertical planes. A mirror distributes them fanned out over a field about 80 meters (262.5 ft) deep and through a beam range of 145 degrees. The wavelengths of the flashes are in the near infrared range, making them invisible and harmless to the human eye. They are reflected by the objects in front of the car and are returned to the laser scanner in far less than a microsecond. There, they are detected by photodiodes. The time this process takes is used to compile a detailed, deeply contoured image of the surroundings. Together with the long-range radar and the front camera, the laser scanner forms a trio of sensors, the various strengths of which complement each other. The laser detects all kinds of objects – including non-metallic ones – with precision and has a wide beam angle. When it comes to those criteria it beats radar, which has a range of up to 250 meters (820.2 ft), a greater height range and persistently delivers readings even in rain and fog.

Laser scanners and radar also work in the dark if the front camera comes up against its limits despite the bright headlights of the new A8. In good visibility conditions it produces high-resolution images of the vehicle’s near and mid-range surroundings. Thanks to the image database it is capable of classifying many individual objects, such as automobiles, trucks, cyclists and pedestrians. Deep learning methods are used for the first time by the image processing system. It uses neural networks as part of its self-learning approach when determining which characteristics are appropriate and relevant for identifying the various objects. This satisfies another key condition for progress towards autonomous driving.

Thanks to the highly connected sensor technology, the assistance systems in the new A8 also respond even sooner to objects, for instance when they detect the end of a tailback and initiate a brake application – an advance on the previous model. Even the navigation profits from sensor data fusion and enables the sedan to identify its position with absolute precision in many situations.

G+: http://bit.ly/2sDB4kn
Channel LMT Cars: http://bit.ly/2tDbpMP
Blog: http://bit.ly/2ugMz2Z

Смотреть в источнике