Stanford and Volkswagen Create Self Driven Passat

Last Thursday’s events at Stanford University have parking valets around the world dusting off their resumes in preparation of a career change. The members of Volkswagen’s Vehicle Innovation Lab (VAIL) sponsored an event for Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, so the diplomat could witness first-hand what the automaker has been developing for the last five years, and the kind of practical applications of the technology that lie ahead.

The VAIL crew was the first to finish the DARPA Grand Challenge with a completely autonomous Touareg that drove over 130 miles in the Mojave Desert in 2005. Stanley, the first self-propelled vehicle, has evolved into the Stanley 2, a computer-power-packed Passat wagon. The Passat took second place on an urban course designed for the 2007 DARPA Challenge, and VW got the chance to showcase the myriad uses of their cutting edge autonomous vehicle technology.

Riding in a Self-Driven Vehicle

Journalists had the chance to ride in the self-propelled Passat wagon after the competition. The vehicle works through a collection of sensors, a GPS and data network, monitors, and computers to navigate city streets. Theoretically, the self-driven VW can avoid pedestrians and cyclists, move through traffic, and come to stops at intersections without the help of a driver. The actual demonstration of the self-propelled vehicle was slightly less ambitious, however.

To understand how the technology works, picture a scenario where you visit a restaurant with a guest. Once you’re out of the vehicle, you can take out your iPhone and press the “park” button on your Autonomous Valet Parking program app. Your car will then drive away, locate a space, back in, shut off the engine, and lock the doors. After you finish dinner, you hit the “return” button on your iPhone app, and your vehicle will receive the message, start the engine, and return to the entrance of the restaurant.

The self-driven VW Passat can tell where it is in relation to the parking lot and then determine the location of an available space. The Passat in the demonstration was not pre-programmed to park in a particular parking slot.

More Advanced Technology on the Way

The self-propelled Passat wagon represents only a small part of the potential of autonomous vehicles. Currently, Audi and Stanford are working toward a loftier endeavor: ascending Pike’s Peak in an Audi TT S without a driver.

The Audi coupe was displayed at Thursday’s event. The team plans to perform a top-speed test this summer at El Mirage and plan the Pike’s Peak feat for later this year.

The Audi looks nothing like the Stanley or Stanley 2, which were severely gutted for the project. The Audi TT S is basically a stock model with a few additional antennas and computers in its trunk. The most frequently asked question of VW’s engineers is if the autonomous technology can be scaled down for practical application. In fact, the technology already has been scaled down, and drivers can expect production applications to start appearing soon.