At the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month, Audi gave an update on some of its autonomous car technology.
Two of the technologies showcased were a system that could enable a vehicle to find an empty parking spot and park, without the need for the driver to even be present, as well as a traffic jam assistant that could enable a car to crawl in traffic at speeds of up to 37 mph.
As previously reported, Audi will initially launch its traffic jam assistant on its A8 flagship sedan. While Audi hasn’t mentioned an exact date for the release, an article in Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, first picked up by World Car Fans, claims the A8 will offer the traffic jam assistant in 2016.
This is somewhat later than expected, as the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S Class due out later this year will feature a similar system that will be capable of driving along highways, autonomously, at speeds of up to 124 mph.
The video above gives us a good idea as to what using Audi’s traffic jam assistant will be like. In the video, the driver of this A6 prototype can sit back and relax during a morning commute. Once traffic picks up and the speed gets faster, a beep tells him to grab the steering wheel and take over as normal.
The self-parking system would likely be launched after the debut of the traffic jam assistant.
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