Audi 2015 Annual Report Download - page 155

ECONOMIC REPORT
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
>> 155
Various driver assistance systems from the full-size category
are now also available in other vehicle segments. For instance,
the assistance systems that are already standard in the new
Audi Q7 such as hold assist, cruise control, adjustable speed
limiter as well as Audi pre sense basic and Audi pre sense city
can now also be ordered for the new Audi A4.
Audi pre sense city is an outstanding example of how assis-
tance systems are becoming more intelligent. The system
identifies impending collisions with other vehicles and pedes-
trians. It warns the driver and even initiates maximum braking
in an emergency.
The intelligence of our current and future assistance systems
will be concentrated in the central driving assistance controller
(zFAS). A large amount of sensor information comes together
in the zFAS. The system uses this information to compute a
sensor-assisted, virtual model of the vehicle surroundings
extremely quickly, and it provides this information to all of the
assistance systems.
In the future, Audi connect will also make it possible for piloted
Audi cars to learn continuously as they drive. High-speed mobile
communications networks and cloud technology allow the use
of machine learning algorithms. In this way, the zFAS control
center for piloted driving steadily increases its performance,
giving an increasingly better command of complex situations
thanks to artificial intelligence.
The fascination of piloted driving was demonstrated at several
events in the past fiscal year. Alongside the experience factor,
the main purpose of these occasions was to acquire knowledge
by testing various driving situations. This data helps improve
piloted driving performance and also flows into the series-
production development process for our assistance systems.
Detailed information on our piloted driving events can
be found under “We create experiences” on page 136
and in the magazine section on pages 26 ff.
High-resolution digital maps play a crucial role in the further
development of intelligent driver assistance systems and
piloted driving. The optionally available predictive efficiency
assistant in the new Audi A4 and Audi Q7 already uses high-
resolution map material and topographical data to deliver a
comfortable and efficient driving style.
With the goal of accessing even more precise and more de-
tailed data in the future, the Audi Group, the BMW Group and
Daimler AG each acquired an equal interest in There Holding
B.V., Rijswijk (Netherlands), in the year under review, which
took over the digital mapping service HERE through a subsidi-
ary. HERE is planning to develop a platform that combines
high-resolution maps with location-specific real-time infor-
mation in order to provide customers with a detailed, second-
by-second snapshot of the real world. This is made possible by
leading map technology from HERE in combination with in-
formation from countless data sources such as vehicles, cell
phones, the transport and logistics sector and the infrastruc-
ture.
// VEHICLE SAFETY
The innovative strength of the Audi brand in the field of driver
assistance systems and automotive safety is reflected in the
following awards which we received in the year under review:
>Five stars for the Audi Q7 in Euro NCAP test:
The European consortium Euro NCAP awarded the new Audi Q7
its maximum rating of five stars for safety. The new model’s
performance was especially impressive in front and side col-
lisions, and in the areas of pedestrian protection and child
safety (www.euroncap.com/en/results/audi/q7/20974).
>Five stars for the Audi A4 in Euro NCAP test:
The new Audi A4 is among the safest cars in its class – the
European consortium Euro NCAP awarded it the top mark of
five stars for very good results in adult safety, child safety
and pedestrian protection (www.euroncap.com/en/results/
audi/a4/21483).
>Top Safety Pick:
The Audi A3 and Q5 models scooped the Top Safety Pick+
2016 awarded by the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety (IIHS) in the year under review. Their top score de-
notes the highest safety standard (www.iihs.org/
iihs/ratings).
>Highest rating in South Korean crash test program:
The Audi A3 Sedan achieved the highest rating “First Class”
for its crash safety, among other virtues, in the South Korean
crash test program KNCAP (www.kncap.org/).
Further information on the topic of vehicle safety can
be found in the magazine section on pages 32 ff.