Audi Pilot


Complicated scenarios also have to be thought through. In the event of a system failure, there must be another on standby to take over the function. Thus, various systems in the car have to be doubled up. Once these issues have been addressed, the engineers will then be able to venture into more difficult situations – main roads with oncoming traffic, overtaking maneuvers, stoplights and, at some point, even city traffic with pedestrians.


However, for development engineers working on piloted driving, the city is a highly complicated matter for realization in the more distant future. A human driver can categorize others sharing the road – if he sees a child at the curbside, he slows down in case that child suddenly dashes out onto the road. If he sees an adult and notices that he, too, has been seen, there is no urgent need to slow down. A car is not yet in a position to take such decisions.


“In principle, the car has to gather driving experience much like a human being. You can’t preprogram everything. What you have to do instead is develop a self-learning system,” says Müller. “Swarm intelligence and learning algorithms will be necessary for piloted driving through cities.” All of that takes time. The legislative conditions are a limiting factor, too. And, ultimately, the customer also has to be prepared for such innovations and accept them as well.


As a passenger, I trust the system – because Müller trusts it. After just a short time, I am sitting just as calmly in my seat as the engineer next to me. But I find myself wondering if I would hand over control to the car if I were sitting behind the steering wheel. Müller takes a relaxed view: “We are developing the systems on an evolutionary basis and guiding our customers step by step toward piloted driving.” According to Müller, the feedback is usually “It feels like the next generation of ACC, the adaptive cruise control.” Plus, the decision to engage piloted driving is always left to the driver: “Our strategy is not to replace the driver, but to support him.” This applies to all situations in which driving is not enjoyable or can become dangerous, i.e. where the driver is either over-challenged or under-challenged.