Platooning: Connected Vehicles for Safety and Efficiency [Connected Vehicles]

Audi's research car, the Audi A7 piloted driving concept, internally nicknamed Jack, is now driving more naturally. Jack knows how to autonomously perform all of its driving maneuvers on the expressway and has now learned how to show consideration for other road users by adapting its driving style to the situation at hand. To this end, it now passes trucks with a slightly wider lateral gap. It also signals upcoming lane changes by activating the turn signal and moving closer to the lane marking first, much like human drivers would do to indicate their intentions. The cooperative attitude of Jack is especially apparent when other vehicles want to merge into the lane, such as on an expressway. Based on the selected driving profile, the test car decides whether to accelerate or brake, depending on which is best suited to handling the traffic situation harmoniously for all road users.