2011 Audi A8 - taking the fast lane onto the World Wide Web

The new 2011 Audi A8 is allegedly the first car in the world to offer an optional factory-installed WLAN hotspot for Wi-Fi access. Of course, this means that all your passengers will probably spend less time talking to you and more time on their laptops, Apple iPads and iPhones or netbooks.

To activate, the driver simply inserts a data-capable SIM card into the Bluetooth online car phone or by using a compatible cellular device with a SIM Access Profile.

All this is made possible through a rooftop antenna of the Audi A8 via the car’s own UMTS module. This enables the most connection stability with great reception quality.






via:egmcartech

Press Release

• First factory-installed WLAN hotspot in a car

• Wireless access for iPads, laptops and netbooks

• Secure encryption, stable connection

The new Audi A8 is the first car in the world to offer an optional factory-installed WLAN hotspot for wireless Internet access. Passengers in the front and rear can simultaneously access the Internet through the car's integrated WLAN module and via UMTS, using up to eight terminal devices such as laptops, Apple iPads or netbooks.

Wireless surfing, accessing information, data and e-mails from company networks, and downloading the latest apps for the iPad - passengers in the front and rear can conveniently and securely use all of these features while traveling in the Audi A8, just as if they were in their own office. WPA2 encryption provides the necessary security for the transfer of data.

Using the WLAN hotspot is remarkably simple. To activate Internet access with speeds up to 7.2 Mbit/s, the driver merely needs to insert a data-capable SIM card into the Bluetooth online car phone. Alternatively, an Internet connection can be established via Bluetooth by using a compatible mobile phone with a SIM Access Profile. Any existing mobile phone contract can be used for this - often coupled with a flat-rate data plan.

Communication with the Internet takes place through the rooftop antenna of the Audi A8 via the car's own UMTS module. This enables utmost connection stability with outstanding reception quality.

Mercedes-Benz automated test driver setup

Working on autonomous vehicle systems is all the rage lately, and Mercedes-Benz is no exception. Most of the work has been going within research groups and as part of competitions like the DARPA Urban Challenge. Mercedes-Benz has moved its automated driving work over to driver-assistance test groups. It's using the automation technology to evaluate crash avoidance systems without putting test drivers and engineers at risk.

By using its autopilot systems, the test maneuvers can be reproduced much more consistently. This isn't the first time that such systems have been employed in testing. Chrysler built an Automated Durability Road (ADR) at its Chelsea Proving Ground in the mid-1990s. The ADR used robotic drivers for accelerated durability testing over extremely difficult surfaces.

In both cases, the automakers can do far more extreme testing than would be possible with human drivers. Among the things Mercedes will be testing for is unintentional airbag deployments when driving over curbs, and detection of high-speed merging traffic or sudden braking.

via:autoblog





Press Release

Autopilots at Mercedes-Benz

"Automated driving" - new proving method for state-of-the-art safety systems

With an eye on future generations of assistance systems, Mercedes-Benz is the first vehicle maker worldwide to introduce an innovative proving method into its test driving portfolio - safety-critical driving manoeuvres that cannot be precisely reproduced by people are now being handled by autopilot on closed test tracks. "Automated driving" supports the development, testing and validation of assistance systems and other safety features. Testing at the limit can now be carried out without danger and health risks to development engineers, delivering clear benefits to Mercedes-Benz customers - because the tests are carried out with the highest degree of precision, future assistance systems can be developed and validated to Mercedes-Benz's exacting quality standards despite increasing levels of complexity.

For years, Mercedes-Benz has been setting benchmarks in the development of new technologies for the continuous improvement of active and passive safety in automobiles. Innovations in passive safety such as the rigid-form passenger cell, crumple zone, airbag and three-point safety belt, plus active safety like ABS, ESP® and braking assistant all trace back to Mercedes-Benz. They have made a demonstrable contribution to improving road safety and to reducing significantly the number of injuries and deaths among road users.

The current status of active safety technology is defined by intelligent assistance systems that turn the vehicle into a "thinking partner" - one that can see and feel, and that can react and function reflexively in the event of danger. Systems like the blind spot assistant, ATTENTION ASSIST and the night view assistant are focused specifically on accident problem areas like changing lane, fatigue or poor night time visibility.

"With future assistance systems, we will be able to address even more complex traffic situations and therefore to ease the dangers of further accident hot spots - like intersections," says Prof. Bharat Balasubramanian, Head of Product Innovations & Process Technologies at Corporate Research and Advanced Engineering Daimler AG. "The new automated driving test methods help us to fulfil the ex-tremely high quality and operational safety demands placed on our safety systems even more efficiently."

Autopilots ensure greater precision and relieve development engineers

In addition to established methods, Mercedes-Benz will in future fulfil requirements for reliable functionality and operational safety in future assistance systems through the "automated driving" of test manoeuvres on dedicated proving grounds. Prototypes used for this purpose are series production vehicles equipped with "robots" for steering, acceleration and braking. An on-board computer controls the autopilot so that a pre-programmed course is followed exactly - even if several vehicles are involved in one manoeuvre.

Test engineers in the control centre monitor all events and can stop the vehicles at any time. In parallel, the vehicles perform self checks and brake automatically if they register discrepancies. Thus, the test configuration is safe yet flexible. All Mercedes-Benz models can be equipped with the technical equipment for "automated driving". Moreover, a variety of different safety systems and equipment can be tested.

Using "automated driving", engineers analyse safety innovations under real-life conditions in the vehicle, addressing two critical challenges:

* Reproducibility. In order to calibrate the systems exactly, the same tests must be varied and repeated extensively. In so doing, all parameters like vehicle distances, speeds and steering radii must be exactly to specifications and always precisely maintained in order to guarantee comparability.
* Safety. Because the systems are intended to kick in only in critical situations, such scenarios must be induced during testing. The manoeuvres demand precision timing and cannot be permitted to put anyone in danger.

Both cases place human beings at their limits - in terms of their ability to react and the issue of reproducibility. However, for complex electronic systems and for assistance systems in particular, fully comprehensive functional validation must be carried out in a manner that is as close to reality as possible, thus making this kind of test driving indispensible.

The precise repeatability of the test methodology enables test vehicles to maintain exactly the pre-determined speed and course and to brake very precisely. For example, if a vehicle drives a pre-planned course several times, the tracks of all the runs vary from one another by less than two centimetres. Should the vehicle be brought to a complete halt at a particular location, the end points of all braking manoeuvres are within a radius of three centimetres.

Alongside the proving of assistance systems, "automated driving" will also be used in extreme tests in future. These put the vehicle under loads that are well in excess of those reached under normal use in traffic. The intention is to ascertain, for instance, that airbags are not activated unintentionally should the car be driven heavily over a ramp or against a kerb. Test drives that involve a high degree of physical stress for the driver can thus be avoided.

State-of-the-art test methods for the highest safety demands

In their development work, Mercedes-Benz engineers use the results from the company's in-house accident research, which delivers important findings. A variety of networked validation methods guarantee that the systems function reliably at the critical moment. Company philosophy insists that validation must go considerably farther than prescribed by regulatory standards. When it comes to passive safety, the internal company crash test requirements go well beyond meeting standard crash test requirements. The combination of computer simulations and real-life crash tests ensures passive safety to Mercedes-Benz standards.

Mercedes-Benz also makes use of state-of-the-art, networked test methods when it comes to active safety. Drive simulator tests combined with simulation procedures deliver a faster and more precise development process and complement test drives under real-life conditions.

"In Sindelfingen, we are currently building a new drive simulator. The state-of-the art technology of this equipment will make the future development of new safety systems even faster and more precise," confirms Balasubramanian.

Automated driving as the basis of future innovations

Mercedes-Benz is the only vehicle maker in the world to use "automated driving" as an additional element in the testing process. It will be used on dedicated proving grounds in tests that would be virtually impossible to reproduce manually, like merging at different speeds and distances; high-risk tests where, for example, a vehicle brakes heavily in front of another that swerves at the last minute; and safety-critical tests whereby, at an intersection, one vehicle crosses just in front of or behind the path of a second vehicle.

With "automated driving", Mercedes-Benz has developed a new, unique testing method for safety systems. It is yet further proof of the innovative power of Mercedes-Benz. The new test method guarantees the fast and efficient development of assistance systems to the highest levels of quality and reliability and also offers maximum safety at work for employees.

Bharat Balasubramanian sums up: "In order to be able to set trends in the field of safety in future, too, our test procedures must be able to keep pace with the wealth of ideas generated by our engineers. With automated driving, we feel we are well equipped for the development of the next generation of assistance systems."

Ford MyTouch Adds Eco-Route Feature to Save Fuel [Video]

Ford unwrapped its new MyFord Touch infotainment system at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show in January, The fuel-efficiency of an engine is one way to save gas, but how that engine is used greatly effects fuel economy too.

The MyFord system also offers up a bar chart next to the fuel display that shows real-time fuel economy performance along with mpg averages for the past 5, 10, and 30 minutes. Impressive stuff, but Ford has some competition. Garmin's similarly titled ecoRoute software offers many of the same options--it maps the most fuel efficient routes, tracks fuel usage over time, and features a report that keeps track of mileage and fuel use on a per-trip basis.

The new system also provides sophisticated data feedback on the car's fuel consumption that can "coach" drivers to maximize efficiency by pointing them towards the most economical driving techniques.

MyFord Touch will launch on the 2011 Ford Edge this summer, and then in 2012 on the Ford Focus. MyLincoln Touch will be standard on new Lincoln vehicles, starting with the 2011 Lincoln MKX.





Press Release

NEW MYFORD TOUCH ‘COACHES' DRIVERS TO IMPROVE FUEL EFFICIENCY;
NAVIGATION ADDS ECO-ROUTE FEATURE

• New MyFord Touch^TM driver connect technology provides an
  array of real-time feedback on fuel efficiency performance that helps
  coach drivers to optimize their miles per gallon

• MyFord Touch map-based navigation offers an Eco-Route option, which
  instantly calculates the most fuel-efficient route for the driver. Ford
  testing shows Eco-Route can help achieve fuel economy gains of up to 15
  percent

• MyFord Touch launches this summer on the 2011 Ford Edge and will be
  available globally on the 2012 Ford Focus. MyLincoln Touch will be
  standard equipment on new Lincoln vehicles beginning with the 2011
  Lincoln MKX

DEARBORN, Mich., April 15, 2010 - When it comes to achieving the best
possible fuel mileage the way you drive can be nearly as important as the
vehicle you drive.

Ford's advanced new in-vehicle system - MyFord Touch^TM -
offers an array of real-time information on fuel economy performance that
can coach drivers to get more miles to the gallon and save on fuel costs. In
addition, MyFord Touch's map-based navigation system offers an

Eco-Route option that quickly calculates the most fuel efficient route a
driver can take to get from A to B.

MyFord Touch is the latest innovation from Ford to help drivers optimize
fuel economy. It builds on the fuel efficiency "coaching" concept Ford
pioneered on its SmartGauge^TM with EcoGuide cluster for the 2010
Ford Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrid as well as the all-new 2011
Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. The system provides real-time fuel economy data and
promotes fuel-efficient driving by showing a graphic of growing leaves and
flowers.

"We have learned that when we provide drivers the information and tools
in an interactive and entertaining way, they want to drive more fuel
efficiently," said Jim Buczkowski, director of Global Electrical and
Electronics Systems Engineering. "MyFord Touch provides an unprecedented
level of information and interaction so drivers can make the choice to be
more fuel efficient."

The green road home

When a driver provides a destination to the navigation system, MyFord Touch
accesses historical and real-time traffic data as well as posted speed
information to calculate three navigation options: Fastest, Shortest and
Eco-Route.

Eco-Route is not necessarily the fastest or shortest route but is the
most fuel efficient. Typically, it charts a course that avoids congested
freeways while maximizing the use of major roads where the driver can
maintain an efficient rate of speed. When Ford of Europe engineers tested
the feature, they achieved up to a 15 percent improvement in fuel economy
using the Eco-Route.

"When drivers use Eco-Route - particularly in combination with MyFord
Touch's fuel-economy feedback and fuel-efficient driving techniques - they
can achieve a noticeable increase in fuel efficiency," said Jennifer Brace-Mezigian,
Ford user interface design engineer.

In addition to its Eco-Route feature, MyFord Touch enables drivers to
monitor and track their vehicle's real-time fuel economy performance and
mile-per-gallon averages for the past five, 10 and 30 minutes in the form of
a bar chart next to the fuel gauge on the display. Drivers can customize the
amount of information provided to meet their needs and hone their
eco-driving skills over time.

"MyFord Touch not only gives drivers information they can use to improve
their driving habits, but also expands on that capability by engaging the
navigation system to give drivers a variety of options," Brace-Mezigian
said. "The benefits will be greater because MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch
will be widely available in the future."

Eco-driving tips

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that the U.S. uses about
150 billion gallons of gasoline annually. If every driver practiced
eco-driving techniques, which can result in an EPA-estimated 15 percent
benefit in fuel economy, more than 22 billion gallons of gas would be saved.

Eco-driving techniques tested by Ford showed that motorists coached in
eco-driving can significantly improve the fuel economy performance of their
vehicles. Here are simple tips that any driver can use:

1. Slow down and watch speed - Drive 55 mph instead of 65 to save fuel.
   EPA estimates a 10 to 15 percent improvement in fuel economy by
   following this tip. Also, aim for a constant speed. Pumping the
   accelerator sends more fuel into the engine. Using cruise control
   whenever possible on the highway helps maintain speed and conserve fuel.


2. Accelerate and brake smoothly - Accelerating smoothly from a stop
   and braking softly conserves fuel. Fast starts, weaving in and out of
   traffic and hard braking wastes fuel and wears out some of the vehicle
   components, such as brakes and tires, more quickly. Maintain a safe
   distance between vehicles and anticipate traffic conditions to allow for
   more time to brake and accelerate gradually.


3. No idling - Today's engines don't need a warm-up. Start the car
   immediately and gently drive away. Don't leave your car idling.
   Prolonged idling increases emissions and wastes fuel. Turn the engine
   off in non-traffic situations, such as at bank and fast food drive-up
   windows, when idling more than 30 seconds.


4. Check your tires - Keep tires properly inflated to the recommended
   tire pressure. This alone can reduce the average amount of fuel use by 3
   to 4 percent. Under-inflated tires increase rolling resistance and
   reduce fuel economy. They also wear more rapidly. Check the vehicle's
   door-post sticker for minimum cold tire inflation pressure.


5. Be kind to your vehicle - Maintain proper engine tune-up to keep
   vehicles running efficiently. Keep the wheels aligned. Wheels that are
   fighting each other wastes fuel. Replace air filters as recommended. Use
   a fuel with good detergent additives to keep the vehicle engine clean
   and performing efficiently. Always consult the owner's manual for proper
   maintenance.


6. Travel light - Avoid piling a lot of luggage on the roof rack. The
   added frontal area reduces aerodynamics and will hurt fuel economy,
   reducing it by as much as 5 percent. Remove excess weight from the
   vehicle. Unnecessary weight, such as unneeded items in the trunk, makes
   the engine work harder and consumes more fuel.


7. Minimize use of heater and air conditioning - Use heating and air
   conditioning selectively to reduce the load on the engine. Decreasing
   your usage of the air conditioner when temperatures are above 80 degrees
   can help you save 10 to 15 percent of fuel. Use the vent setting as much
   as possible. Park in the shade to keep the vehicle cool and reduce the
   need for air conditioning.


8. Close windows at high speeds - Don't drive with the windows open
   unless you keep your speed under 50 mph. Driving with the windows open
   at highway speeds increases aerodynamic drag on the vehicle and lowers
   fuel economy.


9. Choose the right oil - Use good-quality oils with the viscosity
   grade recommended in the owner's guide. Ford recommends SAE 5W-20 oil
   for most cars and trucks to provide the best fuel economy. Only oils
   "certified for gasoline engines" by the American Petroleum Institute
   with the starburst symbol should be used.


10. Consolidate trips - Plan ahead to consolidate your trips. This will
    enable you to bypass congested routes and lead to less idling.

For additional information on how to save on gas, visit the Driving
Skills for Life Web site and click on the "eco-driving" module. Ford's
eco-driving initiative builds on the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers'
comprehensive nationwide effort to promote eco-driving at
www.EcoDrivingUSA.com.