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Self-Driving Audi A7 Called "Jack" Takes 550-Mile Journey to CES 2015

As if laser headlights weren't enough for this edition of the Consumer Electronics Show, Audi has decided to one-up itself and preview the future of automotive transportation: self driving cars.
Self-Driving Audi A7 Called "Jack" Takes 550-Mile Journey to CES 2015 1 photo
An Audi A7 Piloted Driving Concept nicknamed "Jack" embarked on a very long journey to CES 2015 with a group of journalists in tow. The 550-mile (885-kilometer) trip began Yesterday in Silicon Valley (naturally) and ending in Las Vegas, where the 2015 CES is taking place.

"The test drive from the west coast of California to Las Vegas demonstrates our leadership role in piloted driving “, said Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi Board Member and Head of Technical Development.

For most of the journey, Jack will stick to the United States’ Interstate Highway System, where the car will use onboard scanners to plot its course at anywhere between 0 and 70 mph (113 km/h). However, Audi is not yet ready to let its prototype hand a busy urban environment.

When the A7''s scanners detect such urban roads are inbound, it will alert the person sitting in the driver's seat to put his hands back on the steering wheel. If he doesn't comply, the system will apply the brakes and bring itself to the safest stop possible, most likely in the emergency lane.

By now, you've probably seen how W222 S-Class drivers are gluing beverages to the wheel and jumping into the passenger's seat, so it's all too easy to think that cars which are already on the road are actually autonomous. However, the A7 Piloted Driving Concept features much more advanced long-range scanners at the front and rear that keep track of all moving objects on the road.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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