MUNICH, GERMANY—The transformation of our cars over the past few years has been rapid. They used to be autonomous vehicles—in the truest sense—unconnected to the wider world, save by their tires. Now the average new car is a wearable computer with seats for four, clustered with sensors and screens and wireless datalinks. Some of this progress could be considered digital frippery; casting one’s music via Android Auto or CarPlay isn’t that much of an advance over Bluetooth, after all. But some efforts from automakers, like the latest advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), are our stepping stone into a world where our cars drive us.

As the automobile continues to evolve subject to the white heat of technology, spare a thought for the poor automakers. Many of these safety systems are invisible to the driver until their time of need. Others are merely complicated and new. But all of them need to be explained, for how else will a customer see the point in opening their wallet? It’s a problem that Audi has been giving a lot of thought, and the company brought us to Munich recently to take a look at some of the solutions it’s working on.