Seamless interaction is crucial: how the sensors on the car perceive the environment, general traffic data, past experience, factors such as the weather, the time of day – the list is long. Lately, though, progress has been rapid. “When I look at what’s possible today, it’s incredible. Twenty years ago, I couldn’t have dreamed of this,” says Keller enthusiastically.
Today, assistance systems for drivers of Mercedes-Benz vehicles are already part of everyday life – and this is the second level of automation. Under the supervision of the driver, the Active Parking Assist parks the car and the Active Stop-and-Go Assist keeps a constant watch on congestion. The potential for series production applications is ever increasing.
Worldwide development
It’s no wonder that the world’s largest corporations are investing enormous sums in these developments, and, in the same way that Mercedes-Benz is doing in Germany, USA, China and India, they are moving the technology forward with a wide variety of partners.
There are different areas of application and different expectations. People’s demands are multifaceted and diverse – whether it’s about traffic regulations, cultural customs or the user’s habits. The same applies to the level of acceptance of automated and autonomous driving: in many Asian countries, for example, new technologies are much more readily embraced than in Europe.
At Mercedes-Benz, the first application examples – meaning the ones that have made it beyond the testing phase – are expected before the mid 2020s. Mercedes-Benz has already started field testing an automated driving service that works without the use of pedals or a steering wheel in San José.
The company has been testing exactly what we have described above: the user calls their vehicle by app, just like ordering a taxi. Except that this vehicle is driving itself. There will still be a driver behind the wheel to intervene in case of emergency and an expert who explains the technology to passengers.
Hand signals and eye contact
These are the essentials for a brand like Mercedes-Benz when it comes to making innovations fit for everyday use. What do customers expect from a car without a driver? Do we need a voice that welcomes us? Do we prefer to talk to the vehicle, or do we want to interact via screens or buttons?
“Today, a taxi driver deals with many situations using eye contact or hand signals,” says Thomas Hengstermann, head of Autonomous Services at Daimler Mobility AG and responsible for transforming the technology into actual products and services. “The driver might ask the guest: Have you fastened your seat belt? How are you today? Are we ready to set off? What this means for us then is: how can we build up people’s trust so that an automated trip becomes a fulfilling all-round experience?”
It is not yet clear how customers will receive the technology offered by all the different suppliers. At Mercedes-Benz, though, we naturally strive for quality and the highest possible safety standards – familiar qualities that have always been inextricably linked with the brand. The same standards which will also distinguish an automatedly driven Mercedes.
“We are taking it slowly,” says Thomas Hengstermann. “But our timetable has been set.”
Our series will continue! In the second part, we will be focusing on the technologies that make automated and autonomous driving possible in the first place.