As thinking beings, we tend to take our ability to navigate the world around us for granted. We’re not talking about a Magellan-like voyage with star charts, either; we mean simply finding our way from one room to the next. It goes beyond simply our sensory perception of the area, and those extra, hard-to-define processes are the hardest things to emulate when it comes to getting machines to function autonomously. Working diligently to make self-driving (or “piloted”) cars a part of our future, Audi has been tackling that very issue with the use of high-precision digital maps.
As we discussed yesterday, navigation company TomTom has been overhauling its map-making architecture to compete with companies like Google in the world of autonomous car technology. It has landed contracts with several automakers, including Audi, who will use this data for its already impressive piloted driving system.
“The importance of high-resolution, three-dimensional maps will continue to grow in the future,” explains Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi Head of Development. This, combined with the car’s onboard hardware, allows a self-driving car to navigate the streets around it. Sensors keep it from slamming into surrounding things, while the maps tell it where to go. The more precise the map, the better it will be in getting around safely and efficiently.
“We primarily use the data in situations in which a precise prediction is crucial – e.g. data on expressway interchanges, road splits and entrance and exit ramps,” Hackenberg added. Audi is looking to make the next generation A8 sedan the frontrunner of piloted driving tech in the near future.
Audi customers don’t have to wait until then to reap the benefits of high-precision maps, however. The predictive efficiency assistant in the new Audi Q7 already uses detailed route data to economize the ride – even when navigation isn’t being used. The system uses info like elevation, curves, intersections, and more to suggest to the driver the best fuel-saving practices to use on that particular drive.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.