Mercedes-Benz Scores World’s First Approval For Level 3 Autonomous Car

Mercedes Benz has once again broken the record by being the first automotive company in the world to meet the demanding legal requirements for a level 3  system. Germany has taken a pioneering role in this with the opening of the Road Traffic Act of 2017 level 3 systems.

With that being imposed, customers will be able to purchase an S-Class with Drive Pilot that will allow them to drive in heavy traffic on suitable German highways in a conditionally automated mode of up to 37 mph (60 km/h).

Mercedes-Benz is launching DRIVE PILOT on an 8,197-mile stretch of highway in Germany, while extensive testing of the system is already underway in the United States and China. The technology will be phased in as soon as a national legal framework for conditionally automated operation in other markets is established.

Let’s learn further about the DRIVE PILOT!

The DRIVE PILOT is supposed to assist with driving, especially on suitable highway sections and high traffic density. The legally permitted speed is 37 mph for now. You can find the controls needed in the steering wheel rim, on the left and right above the thumb recesses.

When you activate DRIVE PILOT, the system controls the speed and distance and effortlessly guides the vehicle within its lane. The route profile, events occurring on the route and traffic signs are considered. The system also reacts to unexpected traffic situations and handles them independently, i.e. by evasive manoeuvres within the lane or by braking manoeuvres.

Concurrently, additional sensors, including LiDAR and a camera in the rear window and microphones built by Mercedes-Benz to ensure safe, conditionally automated driving. In addition to the sensor data, the DRIVE PILOT also receives information about the road geometry, route profile, traffic signs and unusual traffic events.

Supplemental steering and braking systems and an additional onboard electrical system are included in the S-Class with the optional DRIVE PILOT, ensuring that the vehicle remains manoeuvrable even if one of these systems fails and a safe handover to the driver is provided.

If the driver fails to take back control even after increasingly urgent prompting and expiry of the takeover time, i.e. due to a severe health problem, the system brakes the vehicle to a standstill in a controlled manner and with suitable deceleration. At the same time, the hazard warning lights and, once the vehicle has come to a standstill, the Mercedes-Benz emergency call system is activated, and the doors and windows are unlocked to make access to the interior easier for any first responders.

Of course, the German automaker put safety and operational reliability as their utmost priority when they worked on the system. That is why the system has been positioned to determine the exact location of the S-Class using a highly accurate positioning system that is much more powerful than conventional GPS systems. The data obtained from satellite navigation are also matched with sensor data and data from an HD map. Sensor data collected by LiDAR, camera, radar and ultrasonic sensors can be, for example, information on road geometry, route characteristics, landmarks or traffic signs.

The HD map provides a three-dimensional street and environment image. The map data is stored in back-end data centres and updated constantly. Each vehicle also keeps an image of this map information on board, continually compares it with the backend data and updates the local data set if necessary.

The HD map even offers stable positioning by representing the surroundings independent of, i.e. shadowing effects or a soiled sensor. It also provides information on road geometry or special traffic events such as roadwork. This high-precision map differs from maps for navigation devices by, among other things, its meticulous focus on the inch by inch range and its detailed intersection and track model.

During the conditionally automated journey, DRIVE PILOT allows the driver to enjoy their journey, taking their mind off the traffic and focus on certain secondary activities, be it communicating with colleagues via In-Car Office, surfing the internet or relaxing while watching a film. In DRIVE PILOT mode, applications can be enabled on the vehicle's integrated central display otherwise blocked while driving.