Autonomous Driving

Audi has defined three main time modes that are conceivable in a self-driving car: In quality time, people can engage in activities with their children, for example, or phone family and friends. In productive time, they usually work. In down time, they relax by reading, surfing the Internet or watching a movie.

Today drivers spend an average of about 50 minutes per day at the wheel. In the 25th Hour project, Audi is investigating how this time could be used better in a self-driving automobile. To that end, Audi has joined forces with researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute, among others. The project is based on the premise that an intelligent man-machine interface—today we still call it “car”—will learn its users’ individual preferences and flexibly adapt. This way, tomorrow’s customers will gain full control over their time.

German authorities have set up an Ethics Committee for Automated Driving, which established the world’s first guidelines for programming self-driving vehicles.

It’s not only technologies but also rules and regulations that need to be revised for autonomous driving. In the United Arab Emirates, for example, camels enjoy such respect that they always have the right of way everywhere. Artificial intelligence needs to know that.