Audi introduces autonomous A8 L W12 / Video

Audi has introduced an autonomous A8 L W12 at the Berlinale film festival in Germany.

Described as "another milestone on the path toward piloted driving," the A8 L W12 picked up actor Daniel Brühl and his girlfriend at their hotel and then drove them autonomously to the red carpet at the Berlinale Palast.

In order to complete the journey, the car used a variety of cameras and sensors to locate prominent architectural objects along the route and then compare them with a detailed map that was created ahead of time.  However, unlike previous piloted driving concepts, Audi wanted the A8 L W12 to drive like a chauffeur would so the car was programmed to accelerate and brake smoothly.  This ensured Brühl and his girlfriend were as comfortable as possible.

Things appeared to have worked out as Brühl was visibly excited and remarked the car drove very smoothly and did "everything perfectly."

Audi Board Member for Technical Development, Dr. Ing. Stefan Knirsch, remarked “We have already proven that we can have piloted cars drive safely on a race track and on the expressway. At the Berlinale, we have now mastered a complex urban traffic situation with maximum ease.”