Audi is opening a new Automated Driving Development office in San Jose, California, where it will work on creating advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) specifically for the North American market.
By specifically, we really mean that literally. This is the very first office dedicated to developing ADAS hardware and software for “North American roads and driving behaviors.”
The ultimate goal is to create more advanced Level 2 and above automated systems for the coming decade, including those based on artificial intelligence.
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“Given the rapid advancement of driver assistance technologies in North America, it’s important to be part of the latest breakthroughs, work with leading edge of technology startups and attract the top talent,” said Frank Grosshauser, senior director, ADAS. “We’re looking to bring on as many as 60 engineers to develop new functionalities, catered specifically to North American Audi customer needs.”
As for what model they will use for their test fleet, it’ll be the Q7 SUV. Audi fitted several Q7 development vehicles with roof-mounted sensor kits, while also wrapping them in a QR code which actually links back to a web page that shows the latest automated driving breakthroughs and developments.
The fleet will be used for data acquisition and the development of various cloud-based automated driver assistance functions, which the carmaker wants to unveil by the year 2023.
Since this entire enterprise is based out of Silicon Valley, the development center will also be able to collaborate with nearby startups for production-intent applications.
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