Passat Junior
Through the urban jungle all on its own
A futuristic-looking Passat Variant slowly approaches the crossroads. There is no sign of a driver. This may look like “Candid Camera”, but it isn’t. Junior can really find its own way through the urban jungle. In fact, the test vehicle is so adept at finding its way around that it won second place in the 2007 Urban Challenge, a competition for intelligent vehicles that drive fully autonomously.
Junior was created by Volkswagen Group Research in close cooperation with Stanford University and the Group’s own Electronics Research Laboratory also based in California. The German-American team intentionally chose the Passat as the basic model because as a production vehicle it already has features such as electro-mechanical power steering, an electronic gas pedal and an electrically actuated parking brake. In addition, the extremely fast shifting dual clutch transmission is also available as an optional extra. All relevant electrical systems and the brakes were modified such that they could be fully controlled by the high-performance electronic “brain” of the vehicle and could therefore operate fully autonomously. The Institute for Artificial Intelligence at Stanford University developed the necessary software.
Driver assistance systems of tomorrow
Junior’s hardware is pretty impressive, too. One laser scanner acquires data on the surroundings in the direction of travel, while two further scanners identify lane markings and road surface characteristics, and a rotating scanner on the roof delivers 360 degree vision. Junior’s “eyesight” is completed by two scanners each at the rear and the front. The vehicle also features five radar sensors whose main purpose is to identify the activities of other road users at crossroads.
Vehicles like Junior are used to develop and test the driver assistance technologies of tomorrow – for the benefit of customers: today’s innovative Volkswagen models already feature “Automatic Distance Control” (ACC) ensuring the prescribed safe distance, while “Side Assist” warns drivers about cars in the so-called blind spot in traffic and “Park Assist” makes parking child’s play.