Automated driving technology is constantly evolving and impressive. However, very careful steps and adjustments are required, keeping safety in mind.
Mercedes Benz is well aware of this, it seems, and is already introducing the next version of DRIVE PILOT for conditional autonomous driving (SAE Level 3) in Germany. This evolutionary upgrade can now follow a vehicle on the highway at up to 95 km/h, representing a significantly greater benefit for the customer.
The necessary recertification by the German Federal Transport Authority is scheduled for the end of 2024 and therefore sales are expected to start at the beginning of 2025. Customer vehicles already equipped with the DRIVE PILOT system will receive the update free of charge. Depending on the model, this update can be done wirelessly “over the air” (OTA) or through a visit to the workshop, without the need to change any part of the vehicle. With this update, DRIVE PILOT will be the world’s fastest Level 3 system in a production vehicle.
It should be noted that the higher speed of the DRIVE PILOT offers customers significantly more possibilities of use: the DRIVE PILOT can be used in traffic flow under certain conditions in the right lane of a highway, while a vehicle is in front. The previously available option of using the system in heavy and congested traffic conditions on eligible motorways remains active.
During conditional autonomous driving, driving can be delegated to the system, allowing the driver to use their time more efficiently. He may choose to engage in some secondary activities such as working, surfing the Internet, watching TV, or streaming movies from services like Sony Pictures Entertainment’s RIDEVU. This latest addition to the Mercedes Benz app portfolio is now available for select models in select markets.
Important: Mercedes-Benz bases its DRIVE PILOT on a “multiple warranty system” architecture. This means that in the unlikely event that one of the vehicle’s vital systems – such as the vehicle’s steering, brakes or electrical system – malfunctions, a human can safely take control. The “multi-assurance system” architecture essentially helps hand control over to the driver safely. Cameras, radar, ultrasonic sensors and LiDAR are used to record elements of the car’s environment and process them in real time. Thanks to a high-precision positioning system, the exact position of a Mercedes-Benz equipped with DRIVE PILOT can be determined with an accuracy of a few centimeters. To be located, the vehicle requests information about its position from all available satellite systems.
DRIVE PILOT calculates the car’s position based on data it receives from different satellites. Additionally, a highly detailed and continuously updated HD digital map provides a 3D view of the roads and surrounding area. This highly detailed cartographic material is important for the safe operation of level 3 autonomous driving and is applied exclusively to vehicles with DRIVE PILOT.
It is rightly emphasized that development at Mercedes-Benz is proceeding at a rapid pace to enable even higher speeds and longer autonomous driving times in the future. In Germany, the maximum speed permitted for conditional autonomous driving is currently 130 km/h. Mercedes-Benz aims to reach this number by the end of the decade, following a step-by-step approach with a focus on safety.
Furthermore, according to the company, research and development activities also take social and ethical aspects into account. For example, Mercedes-Benz has already developed special turquoise marker lights for conditional autonomous driving (based on the SAE J3134 recommendation) that indicate the operational status of the DRIVE PILOT. The company considers it important to inform other road users that the conditional autonomous driving function is activated. The US states of Nevada and California have already granted exemptions for this technology. Trials are underway and the first results look, as expected, promising. Turquoise marker lights are integrated into the front and rear lights as well as the two outside rear-view mirrors of the Mercedes-Benz test vehicles.
In Germany, there is no legal framework for this technology. Mercedes-Benz plans to adapt the DRIVE PILOT system architecture to the defined standards as they evolve.
