放开你的方向盘：奥迪自动驾驶汽车初体验

    然后我们又上了高速，这时数码仪表盘上显示出一条消息，提示称“自动”驾驶模式已经可以使用了。不过这时路上车流很大，车距很窄，这对该技术真是一项挑战。

    我瞄了工程师一眼，他对我信心十足地点了点头。方向盘下面有两个额外的按钮。同时长按这两个按钮即可启动自动驾驶功能。我这样做了以后，车内响起了一声提醒音，然后方向盘收缩了几英寸，摆脱了我的掌控。

    这台A7原型车使用了一系列传感器，包括雷达和正对前方的摄像头，用来感应车流状况。车子一直在右道行驶，如果遇见前车行驶太慢，它就会打转向灯，然后拐上左道超车。

    通过方向盘侧边的拨杆，我把速度设定为每小时70英里（约每小时112公里）。方向盘自动摆动，就像有个幽灵在开车一样。车子很快接近了一台开得很慢的面包车，我精神紧张起来，把脚放在刹车踏板上准备随时制动。但车子自动平顺地放慢了车速，等到左边的一辆车先超过去，才打了转向灯，超过了这辆面包车，然后又回到右侧车道，简直天衣无缝。

    我的眼睛直视前方，双手放在了膝盖上。然后，我放松了一会儿，很快就觉得无聊。我把座椅调整了个角度，然后开始和工程师们聊天。我开始望着周围的车流，有车子经过时，我就把两只手都伸到车窗外头。“看我大撒把！”人们对我投来奇怪的眼神。我甚至还试图吸引停在路边的交警的注意力。当然，那位工程师并不觉得我这样做有多么好玩。

    我最喜欢的一点是：你很容易就能收回对车子的控制权。只需轻轻一拉方向盘，施加一点点力量，系统就会很高兴地把它的所有控制权交还给你。踩刹车或油门也能达到同样的效果。车子的操纵感仍然像一辆经典的奥迪。它完全没有陌生的感觉，了解它很容易，用起来甚至更容易。

    我不喜欢的一点是它的被动性。车子走了一阵子之后，你就很难集中注意力了，很难获得所谓的“控制感”。要么是用手动模式开车，要么不是。工程师们表示，等到这项技术最终投放市场，它届时应该可以进行机动规避。不过目前，如果一辆车子向你行驶的方向侧翻过来，车子只能自动减速以避免事故。要想进行更复杂的机动动作，就得靠你自己去手动操作。

    说到事故，那天我们在5号公路上见到了很多交通事故，大部分是小刮蹭，但至少在反向车道上还是发生了一起严重事故。奥迪公司表示它正在积极推进这项技术，因为它可以挽救很多人的生命，因为大多数交通事故都是因为开车分心而导致的。

    我们的A7一路平安无事，也没有遇到事故，稳稳地驶向我们的目的地拉斯维加斯，刚好能赶上一年一度的CES消费电子展。

    等到这趟旅程结束时，我自己也成了自动驾驶技术的拥趸。这项技术是真真切切的。要说我喜欢它吗？我当然看到了它的优点，尤其是在行驶一段漫长而无聊的道路时。而且我也真心相信，最终它会拯救许多人的生命。

    不过，我是靠写汽车新闻谋生的。如果自动驾驶汽车技术完全成熟了，我只能去做代书人、打字员或是卖渔具之类的工作。估计到那时候，我也就只能评测一下汽车内饰的风水了。

    现在，我只能说A7自动驾驶汽车与我是“亦敌亦友”的关系。

    附注：自动驾驶汽车的发展阶段

    你是否畅想过，你的汽车能像变形金刚一样，每天自动开到门口接你，载着你上班，然后自己消失了，直到下午5点钟又来公司接你？对于很多工程师来说，这种完全的自动驾驶和自动导航汽车仍是一个终极目标，我们可能还得等很多年才能见到它。

    专家们给自动驾驶划分了五个等级，从最低级（一级）到全自动机器人出租车（第五级）。

    当前的很多豪华车型已经具备了第一级功能。它是指驾驶员的辅助程序，包括自动巡航控制，也就是当汽车感觉到前方车速较慢时会自动减速甚至停车。车道辅助系统可以避免车子在行驶时越线，它也被视为第一级技术。

    第二级是指汽车可以脱离驾驶员，来处理几项任务，包括自动停车入位，不过通常是驾驶员在车外通过某种遥控器遥控的。

    第三级更有趣些。我们试驾的这辆奥迪原型车就是第三级技术，它可以独立于驾驶员，自动在一条预先设定好的道路上行车。但它需要驾驶员全程坐在方向盘后面，并且要在自动驾驶模式开始前和结束后手动驾车。在紧急状况下也需要驾驶员接管车辆。

    第四级是高度自动化。如果驾驶员没有响应汽车交回控制权的要求，它甚至可以自己找到一个安全的区域停在路边。它也可能会自动开到你的楼前接你，然后自动把自己停在公共停车场的一个预定车位上。

    第五级是根本不需要驾驶员坐在方向盘后头的“机器人出租车”。这也让我们不禁想问：那种会飞的汽车什么时候才能出现呢？（财富中文网）

    译者：朴成奎

    审校：任文科

    Then we got on the freeway and a message appeared on my digital dash, informing me that “piloted” driving mode was available. Traffic was heavy and too closely spaced together. This truly would be a test of the technology.

    I glanced over at the engineer and he gave me a confident nod. The lower stalks of the steering wheel have two extra buttons. You press and hold both simultaneously to engage the autonomous feature. I did so: an alert sounded and the steering wheel automatically retracted several inches, literally moving out of my hands.

    The A7 prototype uses an array of stock sensors, including radar and a front-facing camera, to navigate through traffic. It stays in the right-hand lane until it comes on slower-moving traffic, and then will engage its turn signal, pull into the left lane, and pass.

    Using the side stalk, I set the speed at 70 mph. The steering wheel was moving on its own, a ghost in the machine. We were approaching a slow-moving minivan quickly and I tensed, my foot hovering over the brake pedal. The car smoothly engaged the brakes, waited for a car on the left to pass, turned on the signal, passed the van and pulled back to the right. Seamless.

    I stared straight ahead, hands in lap. Then I relaxed a bit. Then I got bored. I twisted in the seat and began chatting with the engineers. Then I started messing with traffic around me, planting both hands on the side window as cars passed. Look, sir! No hands. I got some strange looks. I even tried to attract the attention of a state trooper pulled to the side of the road. My engineer/minder wasn’t so amused.

    Here’s what I liked: It was very easy to take back control. Simply grab the steering wheel and apply light pressure, and the system happily gives all controls back to you. You can also apply the brakes or gas and do the same thing. And the car still drove and handled like an Audi. It really wasn’t foreign at all: Easy to understand even easier to use.

    What I didn’t like: The passiveness. It’s very hard to pay attention after a while. Being sort-of, kind-of in control is difficult. Either you’re all-in driving, or you’re not. Engineers say that when the technology eventually comes to market, the car should be able to perform some evasive maneuvers. But right now, if a car careens toward you the car can only slow down to avoid an accident. It’s up to you to perform more elaborate evasive action.

    As for accidents, we saw a lot of them that day on I-5. Fender benders mostly, but at least one serious incident the other direction. Audi says it is pursuing this technology because it saves lives, as the majority of accidents are the result of distracted driving.

    Meanwhile, our A7 stayed out of trouble and accident free, moving steadily to our destination, the Las Vegas Strip, which we would reach just in time for the annual Consumer Electronics Show.

    By the end of the trip, I was a believer. The technology is for real. Do I love it? Well, I certainly see the attraction, especially on a long boring route. And I do believe that it will eventually save lives.

    But I write about cars for a living. Fully autonomous driving would consign me to the ranks of scriveners, typesetters and harpoon salesmen. I guess at that point, I’ll be reviewing the fengshui of the interior.

    For now, I’ll just say that the A7 self-driving car and I are frenemies.

    Sidebar: stages of self-driving cars

    Hoping for a car that will pick you up at your doorstep, whisk you to work, and then disappear around the block until it returns for you at 5 pm? For many engineers, such a fully automated and self-guiding car is the ultimate goal, but it will be many years until we actually see one.

    Experts have laid out five levels of automation, from the lowest (one) to that full robotic taxi (five).

    The first level is found on many luxury cars today. It’s referred to as a driver’s assistance program and include automatic cruise control, in which the car will slow or even stop when it senses slower traffic ahead. A lane-assistance system, which helps keep a car from straying beyond lane markings, is also considered level one.

    Level two is a car that can handle several tasks independently of the driver, including parking itself, with the driver outside the car controlling some aspects with a key fob.

    Level three is where things get more interesting. The Audi prototype that we tested was level three, and it can negotiate traffic on a pre-ordained route independent of the driver. However, it depends on a driver to be behind the wheel at all times, and to take over control at the beginning and end of the route. It also demands that the driver take back control in any emergency circumstance.

    High automation is level four. This car will be able to find a safe area to pull off the road if the driver doesn’t respond to a call of action to take back over. It could also potentially drop you off outside of your building and then pull itself automatically into a pre-ordained spot in the public garage.

    Five is the robotic taxi that would need no driver behind the wheel whatsoever. Which brings us to this question: When are we going go get those flying cars, anyhow?