Porsche is testing an autonomous driving system to be used in maneuvering vehicles inside crowded repair shops, port facilities, and other close quarters driving situations.  Part of a collaboration with Kopernikus Automotive, Porsche is demonstrating the technology in a workshop on the company’s premises in Ludwigsburg. For the system, the partners rely primarily on artificial intelligence, first creating a virtual representation of the facility, allowing the vehicle to use external inputs and onboard cameras to see and "learn" the lay of the land through Artificial Intelligence.  The system requires fewer on-board sensors and reduces the costs of the technology.  “This is a move away from sensors in the vehicle to sensors in the external environment, and a move away from relatively rigid programming to data-based intelligent systems,” says Alexander Haas, Project Manager for Automated Driving at the Porsche workshop.  The goal is to reduce minor accidents in tight spaces and to allow workflow to proceed more efficiently. Thanks to automated vehicle handling, repairs can be performed more quickly and cost-effectively.  The test also enables Porsche to gather valuable information on artificial intelligence-based autonomous driving. In the long term, a host of further applications for the technology are possible: it can be used at ports, in logistics or in car parks in the future. After successful completion of the tests, the project team will pass the matter on to series production.