Self-driving Audi RS7 - what is the point?

[Lankan]

So, we now appear to have a car that can drive itself around a race track at close to racing speeds all by it self - great, but what is the point? LINK :rollseyes:

As debated in an earlier thread, do people (still) think that advanced technology is really a good thing? By this I am not referring to technology related to safety, but the use of advances in technology (e.g. increased CPU/processor power, miniaturisation of components etc) to provide a platform to show off how big a R&D budget a particular manufacturer has, or could there possibly be another explanation to this whole thing?

I mean I can see absolutely no reason to have a self-driving performance car! Why would anyone want one?

Over to you all................

 

[hualpa_jo]

This isn't such a new thing. Shelley did this already years ago.

I'm absolutely fan of high tech. And it's ok in cars when it makes sense. For instance I got the chance to look at a Tesla Model S and it is fantastic what technology can do in this car. But that's not a sports car nor has it a combustion engine and that's why it is ok. On the other hand I hate all the different kinds of driving aids. It's not a bad thing when they are available but I don't want a car where you can't turn it off COMPLETELY because that's where the fun starts!

As for the topic: It's no secret that every big company which has something to do witch electronics and/or cars is developing a self driving car. Why? Personally I don't see the point but I'm convinced, there will be a time when people are too busy or too lazy to drive but still they want individual transportation. What better solution do we have than a self driving car? When I look how lazy people have become in the last few decades there are not so many things that can surprise me in the future when it comes to our behaviour...

Why a sports car? I guess it's the most impressive way? and the race track I guess is because it is by far the easiest place to start with. No traffic, no pedestrians... And before the demonstration you can run the car a hundred times around the track until the computer has adapted every grain of sand and doesn't make a single mistake.

I don't thing anyone will want a self driving performance car but it's a nice tech demo and shows what modern technology is capable of. Apart from that I think it's rather useless...

 

[Lankan]

Another video with a bit more detail than the one posted above: LINK

Ironic that the live-feed web site wasn't available during the test run 'due to a technical problem' and implying that it was overloaded.

Agree with you Jonas, and yes, there have been self-driving cars before, and I can see the use for them in city centres, shuttle services etc, but a performance car - no, doesn't make sense at all.

 

[rustedandrotten]

What a waste of time, effort and money, pointless :ihatpcs:

Teaching people to drive rather than the current crop of 'drivers' who seem to think it's all based on PlayStation might be a more use of the development cash :approve:

 

[hualpa_jo]

Teaching people to drive

Don't see it happen.

Two things are infinite: The universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe!

 

[MarkK]

I can think of a perfect use for the technology. You're down the pub after work one evening, and rather that quit after the obligatory 2 pints, you carry on all evening having fun.

You can then climb back in your car, select 'D' for drunk and have a nice snooze home! Just need a catheter fitted to avoid ruining the upholstery.

Then there's the long commute on really busy stop / start motorways / towns....a perfect opportunity for another snooze, and no great driving experience missed.


Mark

 

[Jamesv6]

It's like Scalexrics without a controller.

 

[Lankan]

I can think of a perfect use for the technology. You're down the pub after work one evening, and rather that quit after the obligatory 2 pints, you carry on all evening having fun.

You can then climb back in your car, select 'D' for drunk and have a nice snooze home! Just need a catheter fitted to avoid ruining the upholstery.

Then there's the long commute on really busy stop / start motorways / towns....a perfect opportunity for another snooze, and no great driving experience missed.


Mark

Your first point is an excellent one Mark, and the thought had crossed my mind, and agree it would be the perfect use of this technology, but then there will be the lobbyists who will come down on the manufacturers saying that they are promoting alcoholism

 

[Cold fusion]

Some of the technology on modern cars is a joke. I now drive a Ford Focus RS Mk2, took the battery off to clean the battery tray and repaint it once job was done I re-connected the battery entered the code in the sat nav / stereo everything worked except the radio. There were lots of stations listed but no sound when selected. I took it to my local dealer who stunned me by saying that the head unit needed new channel drivers, he then produced a USB stick plugged it in to one of the 3 USB ports and reloaded the drivers. Ridiculous.

 

[Cold fusion]

Some of the technology on modern cars is a joke. I now drive a Ford Focus RS Mk2, took the battery off to clean the battery tray and repaint it once job was done I re-connected the battery entered the code in the sat nav / stereo everything worked except the radio. There were lots of stations listed but no sound when selected. I took it to my local dealer who stunned me by saying that the head unit needed new channel drivers, he then produced a USB stick plugged it in to one of the 3 USB ports and reloaded the drivers. Ridiculous.

 

[Cold fusion]

Some of the technology on modern cars is a joke. I now drive a Ford Focus RS Mk2, took the battery off to clean the battery tray and repaint it once job was done I re-connected the battery entered the code in the sat nav / stereo everything worked except the radio. There were lots of stations listed but no sound when selected. I took it to my local dealer who stunned me by saying that the head unit needed new channel drivers, he then produced a USB stick plugged it in to one of the 3 USB ports and reloaded the drivers. Ridiculous.