Traffic Sign Recognition

[Justinos]

Finally got Traffic Sign recognition working, required the Kufatec dongle and 3 tweaks using VCDS.

I have to say though I am under whelmed by its operation.

I wanted it as I have managed to collect 6 points in 6 months, and regularly use the M6 with smart motorways and fluctuating speed limits. They are easy to miss especially if they change from gantry to gantry.

A useful feature would be for when the speed limit changes, a warning sounded if you were travelling in excess of that speed, or linking to the ACC to change speed, but a warning would be good enough for me. Would be simple for Audi to programme, all the hardware is there.

I think this may be in the new A4 and A5, and 2018 A6, but I am a good few years off changing as only 18 months into a 5 year ownership.

[JonathanK]

I’ve often wondered what triggers it. Is it the camera behind the rear view mirror or GPS via the sat nav? I’m guessing the camera because if notes temporary road works on motorways.

J


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[Whippy53]

Finally got Traffic Sign recognition working, required the Kufatec dongle and 3 tweaks using VCDS.

I have to say though I am under whelmed by its operation.

I wanted it as I have managed to collect 6 points in 6 months, and regularly use the M6 with smart motorways and fluctuating speed limits. They are easy to miss especially if they change from gantry to gantry.

A useful feature would be for when the speed limit changes, a warning sounded if you were travelling in excess of that speed, or linking to the ACC to change speed, but a warning would be good enough for me. Would be simple for Audi to programme, all the hardware is there.

I think this may be in the new A4 and A5, and 2018 A6, but I am a good few years off changing as only 18 months into a 5 year ownership.
Good tip here! Might help you


This simple trick prevents the police from ever giving you a speeding ticket again. (http://www.storiesofthemoment.com/this-simple-trick-prevents-the-police-from-ever-giving-you-a-speeding-ticket-again)

[AT.]

A useful feature would be for when the speed limit changes, a warning sounded if you were travelling in excess of that speed, or linking to the ACC to change speed

Are you sure this system doesn't support this feature? I haven't got this feature, but IMHO it should act like this if you enable the tempomat - even without the ACC feature.

[Elansear]

Are you sure this system doesn't support this feature? I haven't got this feature, but IMHO it should act like this if you enable the tempomat - even without the ACC feature.
Hi have had a look at this, in law it is the responsibility of the driver to obey any and all road traffic signage, and to take any and all action, safely to conform with that signage. Things like this and ACC are there to assist the driver and not to replace them, it is down to the driver if they do not conform. Smart motorway's ( I don't like them but there you go ) overhead signs are easy to see from a distance, if they are illuminated, then you know before you get to them that something is going to change and it's down to you to take action and be prepared to conform to that information. Not preaching just pointing out fact, I can use the loud peddle as much as the rest, but better safe than dead. Found this from a google search, The system has a purely informative character. In addition the optional MMI has the possibility of providing a traffic sign based warning when exceeding the recognized speed limit. release-for-the-camera-based-traffic-sign-recognition-8w0054800b-10 (https://shops.audi.com/en_GB/web/zubehoer/p/release-for-the-camera-based-traffic-sign-recognition-8w0054800b-10)
Just like the satnav system they are not in law allowed to warn of speed cameras, that's why you can't download a version of the Audi system that has them on it. Nothing stoping you purchasing a stand alone one with them on, just don't get caught in Europe with one that has them activated, you could be prosecuted !!! Saying that very little chance you would...

[AT.]

Thank you for the detailed explaantion, but honestly it's not about speeding but to avoid speeding. If I remember well the new VW Arteon's commercial suggest, that this feature is active there, so I was just surprised why it's not a feature in the A6? Well of course, I don't think that the car should accelerate if it will recognise that the speed limit area is over, but to slow down the car could be a very useful safety thing, mostly it's all the same as ACC does if you follow a car. As you might know, in this case the speed will be lowered and will rise until the previuosly set value.

IMHO op had right, it could be useful to automatically LOWER the ACC speed if there is a speed sign on the road.

I was just surprised, why is it good to see the tables with the camera, if it does nothing except to show you it on the DIS too.

[Elansear]

Yes AT, it could be useful to adapt the speed in changing conditions, I think the best you could hope for would be an audio warning that you may be over the recommended speed, like the one you can set as a speed warning yourself. This may be a test bed for systems for a self driving car being tested in the real world, ACC, lane assist, self park etc , or a gimmick. Perhaps in time this sort of tech will be a basic part of cars in an attempt to improve safety, but in the end it will be down to the human behind the wheel to make the decision.

[MFGF]

My car has both the speed limit recognition feature and ACC from the factory, and the two are definitely not linked to each other. I did drive a new Mercedes E class in the USA last year, and I was really surprised to find it does alter speed if the ACC is engaged and the car enters a new lower speed limit area. I wonder if the new A6 does this too?

MF.

[wardienet]

My car has both the speed limit recognition feature and ACC from the factory, and the two are definitely not linked to each other. I did drive a new Mercedes E class in the USA last year, and I was really surprised to find it does alter speed if the ACC is engaged and the car enters a new lower speed limit area. I wonder if the new A6 does this too?

MF.

That’s odd my MY16 Q7 has TSR and ACC and they definitely work together, sometimes it read a sign wrong (like for HGV only) and reduces the cruise automatically.


Q7 MY16 272PS S-Line Tech/Tour/Trailer packs, orca black, 21 inch 9.5J rims, rotor grey leather, sunroof, BOSE, ambient lighting, reversing cam, drivers memory seat. Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk.

[MFGF]

That’s odd my MY16 Q7 has TSR and ACC and they definitely work together, sometimes it read a sign wrong (like for HGV only) and reduces the cruise automatically.


Q7 MY16 272PS S-Line Tech/Tour/Trailer packs, orca black, 21 inch 9.5J rims, rotor grey leather, sunroof, BOSE, ambient lighting, reversing cam, drivers memory seat. Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk.

The Q7 has more modern systems than the A6 C7 (which dates back to 2011). Even in the facelift versions there is no link...

MF.

[NewAudi]

I have both the speed sign recognition and ACC. No they dont work together on the 2017 model of the A6.

As for speed cameras on the nav....German law states that it can not be installed on a FIXED unit, like the built in nav on the A6. You are however allowed to have it on a non fixed unit, like a smart phone. No need to have an additional navigation unit like a Garmin or whatever as there are many apps available taking car of that, I use Blitzer. Very good I might add and works across all of Europe.

Audi has obviosuly elected to have no speed cameras on any of the navigation they sell for any European country. Other manufacturers do, like Volvo. In my wifes XC60, as soon as you go to Belgium, Poland or other country but Germany, the navigation shows the speed cameras and warns for them.

Germany love rules and regulations, its their way of employing people in the system and they are masters at it!

[wardienet]

I have both the speed sign recognition and ACC. No they dont work together on the 2017 model of the A6.

As for speed cameras on the nav....German law states that it can not be installed on a FIXED unit, like the built in nav on the A6. You are however allowed to have it on a non fixed unit, like a smart phone. No need to have an additional navigation unit like a Garmin or whatever as there are many apps available taking car of that, I use Blitzer. Very good I might add and works across all of Europe.

Audi has obviosuly elected to have no speed cameras on any of the navigation they sell for any European country. Other manufacturers do, like Volvo. In my wifes XC60, as soon as you go to Belgium, Poland or other country but Germany, the navigation shows the speed cameras and warns for them.

Germany love rules and regulations, its their way of employing people in the system and they are masters at it!

Yes the whole set of laws on speed camera warning devices and also dashcams is a complex mess across Europe...


Q7 MY16 272PS S-Line Tech/Tour/Trailer packs, orca black, 21 inch 9.5J rims, rotor grey leather, sunroof, BOSE, ambient lighting, reversing cam, drivers memory seat. Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk.

[ChuckMountain]

I wonder if the new A6 does this too?

Yes it does as long as you get the right pack?

I drove a new A7 and it varied the speed automatically up to the set cruise limit based on the road signs and even slowed automatically to go round sharp corners when ACC is engaged. It was pretty responsive during roadworks and "smart" motorways. One time though it got it wrong and started accelerating back up to 70 into a fifty zone.

[wardienet]

Yes it does as long as you get the right pack?

I drove a new A7 and it varied the speed automatically up to the set cruise limit based on the road signs and even slowed automatically to go round sharp corners when ACC is engaged. It was pretty responsive during roadworks and "smart" motorways. One time though it got it wrong and started accelerating back up to 70 into a fifty zone.

It uses GPS based road speed limit data plus traffic sign recognition. It also does stuff like drop into neutral and cruise up to a junction to save fuel then put the brakes on. But no system is infallible, I was just on the A9 and it has a average speed zone 50mph for HGV / 60mph for cars and the system misread the signs and kept on dropping down to 50mph. But it certainly makes a long drive very easy.


Q7 MY16 272PS S-Line Tech/Tour/Trailer packs, orca black, 21 inch 9.5J rims, rotor grey leather, sunroof, BOSE, ambient lighting, reversing cam, drivers memory seat. Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk.

[ChuckMountain]

It uses GPS based road speed limit data plus traffic sign recognition. It also does stuff like drop into neutral and cruise up to a junction to save fuel then put the brakes on. But no system is infallible, I was just on the A9 and it has a average speed zone 50mph for HGV / 60mph for cars and the system misread the signs and kept on dropping down to 50mph. But it certainly makes a long drive very easy.


Q7 MY16 272PS S-Line Tech/Tour/Trailer packs, orca black, 21 inch 9.5J rims, rotor grey leather, sunroof, BOSE, ambient lighting, reversing cam, drivers memory seat. Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk.

Yes sorry I realise that it also uses GPS when it does not have speed signs.

I would imagine the new A6 version is even more advanced than the Q7, as the new A6 had one of the highest levels of self-drive of the Audi range.

[Justinos]

Hi have had a look at this, in law it is the responsibility of the driver to obey any and all road traffic signage, and to take any and all action, safely to conform with that signage. Things like this and ACC are there to assist the driver and not to replace them, it is down to the driver if they do not conform. Smart motorway's ( I don't like them but there you go ) overhead signs are easy to see from a distance, if they are illuminated, then you know before you get to them that something is going to change and it's down to you to take action and be prepared to conform to that information. Not preaching just pointing out fact, I can use the loud peddle as much as the rest, but better safe than dead. Found this from a google search, The system has a purely informative character. In addition the optional MMI has the possibility of providing a traffic sign based warning when exceeding the recognized speed limit. release-for-the-camera-based-traffic-sign-recognition-8w0054800b-10 (https://shops.audi.com/en_GB/web/zubehoer/p/release-for-the-camera-based-traffic-sign-recognition-8w0054800b-10)
Just like the satnav system they are not in law allowed to warn of speed cameras, that's why you can't download a version of the Audi system that has them on it. Nothing stoping you purchasing a stand alone one with them on, just don't get caught in Europe with one that has them activated, you could be prosecuted !!! Saying that very little chance you would...

Christ, I wish I was as perfect as you, spotting every change of speed limit on the smart motorways. I do 25k miles a year, and from my experience they change from gantry to gantry, so easy to get caught out.

[Elansear]

Hi. Not perfect, just pointing out that no matter what you are in control of the vehicle, you have passed a driving test that has proved you are competent to drive in the UK. No matter what assistance you are given, or decide to choose its your right foot. If we choose to not comply with guidance given to us that is our choice. OH signage is difficult to read until you are near it, but it being on is the clue that a change may be imminent only takes a second to see if it has changed since the last one. I often exide the national limit when I consider it safeties do so, but if there is a sudden change to the limit on say a smart motorway I tend to respect it. we have proved we know the rules its down to us if we abide by them, not the cars.

[Justinos]

You are missing the point entirely, of course I am in control, this is about increasing awareness. You clearly haven't driven on the M6 as it passes Birmingham. Every other gantry has a different speed.

Thanks for your input, but I raised the question about the way the system works, not to get a lecture on the merits of speed etc. Save them for someone who gives a toss.

[Elansear]

Did not wish to offend. Yes I do drive on smart motorways M25 around the M3-M4 area is the same, up and down all the time. The big clue is if you start seeing some brake lights at the next gantry there is a good chance that there is a change. Again I did not wish to offend just inform........

[AT.]

we have proved we know the rules its down to us if we abide by them, not the cars.

By this logic, there is no need for any assistance. The TSR is nothing more then a braking guard, or an ACC, a side assist, a lane assist, it helps to keep the speed limit. The TSR is not against the law, but a help to not to brake the rules.

[Justinos]

No offence taken, but the original question is clearly about how the system operates, not how to drive on smart motorways. Your response comes across as slightly sanctimonious, and stating the obvious hence the reaction.

[AT.]

I don't want to argue, but OP asked about to how to link the TSR with the ACC.

This question has nothing to do with any law, or any driving skills. It was nothing more then an interesting thought:

Is it possible to connect these systems in a C7, as the mentioned idea is already a working feature even in a VW, and of course for all the Audi up from the former Q7 version. By this, the answer could be obvoius, as "possible" or "not possible", but it has nothing to do with the driver or the law.