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Automated Audi Cruises Down Florida Highway

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Move over, Florida highway drivers. Audi's self-driving car is coming through.

The car maker closed down a Tampa, Florida highway on Sunday and Monday to test out a driverless car in an effort to show that the technology will soon be ready for the real world. 

The company demonstrated its driverless technology in an Audi A7 equipped with an array of sensors and cameras to handle driving functions on freeway conditions up to 40 miles per hour. The technology allows the car to start and stop on its own and avoid other vehicles in front and to the sides.

The test did not, however, go off without a hitch. Twice the car stopped and had to be fixed because one of the sensors wasn't communicating with the central computer, according to the Tampa Bay Tribune. Despite the glitch, Audi believes this technology will be available to consumers within five years.

Audi is now the first carmaker to test a highly automated car on the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway in Tampa, which was recently designated as an automated driving and connected car test bed, just one of 10 in the U.S. The move comes after Florida Gov. Rick Scott back in 2012 signed into law HB 1207, which allows the testing of autonomous vehicles in the state.

The test was also a first step towards fully automatic, driverless cars, which could be available within the next two decades, Filip Brabec, director of product management with Audi of America, told the Tampa Bay Tribune. Audi officials picked Tampa to see how the system works in extreme heat.

"The ability to conduct research in the real-world conditions offered by Florida and the Expressway Authority is crucial to pre-production development," Audi said in a statement. "Because Florida created an environment that allows for the testing and development of autonomous technology, companies such as Audi have decided to bring research and development efforts to the Sunshine State."

The test comes after Audi first showed off its self-driving A7 during a flashy pre-show keynote at CES in January.

Besides Audi, a number of other companies have autonomous vehicles in the works, including Nissan, Mercedes, Toyota, and Google. The FBI believes that autonomous cars could be approved by Congress for use in the U.S. within five to seven years, but worries they could be used as lethal weapons if they fall into the wrong hands.

For more, check out PCMag's test drive in Volvo's self-driving car. Also see Are You Ready to Give Your Keys to a Self-Driving Car?

 

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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