Comments on: Audi builds driver-less car for Pikes Peak

By: gak67

gak67 — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:49:44 +0000

The Wireless internet provider we use at work is call Skylab.

By: DGR-F1

DGR-F1 — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:29:55 +0000

Is Audi also involved with developing driverless vehicles for the US Military? I know there are a few manufacturers investigating such things.
Also, is this a true driverless car, or is there somebody using a PSP sitting comfortably in Houston?

By: ajokay

ajokay — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:28:22 +0000

Who would the Driver’s Championship points be awarded to? Thats what I want to know.

By: keepF1technical

keepF1technical — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:42:05 +0000

didn’t Williams send a driverless F1 car round silverstone back in the 90’s and get within a few seconds of a driven car.

those were the days of active suspension and lap positioning so the car would know what settings to use coming up. And that was something like 15 years ago!

By: Achilles

Achilles — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:53:07 +0000

There are already programs, built into ECU’s, that ‘Learn’ the track, in motorsport, an example would be Valentino Rossi’s Yamaha.

By: wasiF1

wasiF1 — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:59:57 +0000

“How well would such technology work in an F1 car up against the likes of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton?”

It will never work I don’t think human being will watch F1 when it is driven by robots,only machines will watch them.

By: Chalky

Chalky — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:34:50 +0000

I liked the fact that KITT could never have a crash. I think it was mentioned in the pilot episode. So effectively Michael could drive KITT like a lunatic and KITT would detect traffic ahead and take control if required.

I feel really geeky now.

By: inc0mmunicado

inc0mmunicado — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:46:18 +0000

This brings me back to when I used to watch Knight Rider when I was very young…I dream of one day having three things in my own car of tomorrow:
1. a car that could drive itself.
2. a car that could have a real conversation with you.
3. a “turbo boost” button that would allow you to jump over things…:)

By: Paul H

Paul H — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:43:02 +0000

Very different from a friend’s home made Cadillac-powered 4WD open wheel racer he used to race up Pikes Peak in the early ’60s. Then another local chap turned up to have a crack at it in several classes—flown back to the start line in helicopter–who won it no less than 19 times; that was ,of course, Bobby Unser.

By: John H

John H — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:06:52 +0000

Sorry, “throw it up pikes peak” not “through it up pikes peak”…. that doesn’t sound too healthy!

By: John H

John H — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:05:11 +0000

Something like chess lends itself quite nicely to computers because although the decision making is very abstract and territorial, the inputs (i.e. the current condition of the board) are discrete and finite in their nature.

Controlling an unstable car with oversteer for maximum speed with no grip is very much a feedback system whereby the car should learn overtime how to deal with it (it must evolve). It’s very much a complex system.

So the car must learn… problem is, you need to do this in real life and not on a computer. It’s possible, although just as you must train a human driving karts first, you must put this Audi machine on a simple dirt track first and then through it up Pikes Peak after it has learnt something first. Whether Audi are doing this or not I am not sure!

By: Chaz

Chaz — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:45:27 +0000

Shame there’s no video of the car in action. I’ve seen some of these computer controlled cars doing various challenges and I’m sure any passenger would need a strong constitution as they are very jerky…

By: HounslowBusGarage

HounslowBusGarage — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:37:24 +0000

That’s right, Matthew H. And the prescient thing was that it was an Audi too.
I remember seeing the film and being surprised that Will Smith (and some of the other police) drove Audis all of which had the ‘deep’ vertical grille styling which wasn’t actually on the market until getting on for two years later. Anorak moment, sorry.

By: Keith Collantine

Keith Collantine — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:25:51 +0000

a top driver like Hamilton can drive an essentially unstable car like the on-board computers control an unstable aircraft like a Eurofighter jet.

Very clever comparison – they used to say the same about how Schumacher’s team mates couldn’t drive a car that was set up for him.

By: Random Chimp

Random Chimp — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:05:06 +0000

That is a very intersting article, thanks Patrickl.

By: Bartholomew

Bartholomew — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:10:38 +0000

This is extraordinarily interesting Pat, lets have some more similsr links.
I think F1 Fanatic would gain a lot of interest with articles, like this one, about the inner functionings of different aspects of the F1 world.

By: Patrickl

Patrickl — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:37:10 +0000

I read an article about a similar comparison a few days a go on McCabism:
http://mccabism.blogspot.com/2009/11/lewis-hamilton-and-instability.html

He compares how a top driver like Hamilton can drive an essentially unstable car like the on-board computers control an unstable aircraft like a Eurofighter jet. While “mere mortal” humans are unable to control these machines and thus need to lose performance in an effort to keep control.

By: Patrickl

Patrickl — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:31:54 +0000

It could also get the crash right.

I’m pretty sure Piquet was supposed to lightly tap the outside wall there. You, knowm just knock a front wheel off like so often happens in Canada too. Not to miss the crash, spin all across the track and then completely obliterate the car on the other side.

By: JHunt123

JHunt123 — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:54:33 +0000

It would make crashing at turn 17 on lap 13 much more precise and easier, and would not risk harming the driver to boot!

By: laaars

laaars — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:48:44 +0000

Top Gear BMW that needs no driver

youtube.com/v/Kc5JED8TgwI