What's all this about?

Audi's piloted driving programme has moved one step closer to the real world thanks to 'Jack', an A7 that (mostly) drove itself to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas from Silicon Valley, some 560 miles away.

How did it manage to do that?

Aside from the array of sensors already fitted to an A7 Sportback, such as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Audi Side Assist (ASA), the car has been fitted with four small cameras at the front and rear, which provide information on its immediate surroundings. Complementing this is a new high-resolution, wide-angle 3D video camera, which will be seen in production in the new Audi Q7. This observes the surrounding traffic and feeds the information to the powerful on-board computers.

How does it know when to drive?

As clever as Jack is, it still needs to be told when to take over control. This is done via a switch on the steering wheel and a strip of LED lights along the base of the windscreen that indicate to the driver that the car has taken control of driving. Drivers can hand over control at any speed up to 70mph at which point the car will adapt its speed to the surrounding vehicles while maintaining a safe distance from other road users. When a scenario arises that requires the human to resume control these LEDs light up, along with an audible warning from the Central Status Indicator (CSI).

Is there anything it can't do?

Well, there's no on-board coffee maker... but aside from that the car does still require the human driver to take control in city environments in order to ensure a greater level of safety. When in control it can perform overtaking and lane-changing manoeuvres so it isn't just a glorified cruise control system.

When can I get one?

For now, and for the foreseeable future, Jack remains a dynamic concept. In America there are only a handful of states that permit autonomous cars to drive on the public road while legislation in Europe is even more restrictive. Though as more companies develop these cars and show that they can be used in everyday scenarios we will begin to move closer to them becoming a production reality.

Dave Humphreys - 6 Jan 2015