So it’s no secret that many automakers are keen to explore the possibility of fully autonomous (self-driving cars).
While this is somewhat upsetting for driving enthusiasts like ourselves, the technologies needed to make a car drive itself is simply jaw-dropping. Mercedes-Benz recently took a massive step forward in its quest for a fully autonomous Mercedes-Benz S-Class, allowing the prototype to drive over 60 miles completely unassisted.
Dubbed the Mercedes-Benz S500 Intelligent Drive research vehicle, the car features technologies such as a color camera to monitor traffic lights, as well as a variety of sensors and a stereo camera. Additionally, the Mercedes-Benz S500 Intelligent Drive research features a selection of radar systems to monitor every inch around the car.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIJeqD3Ax40[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKqJccK_EkM[/youtube]
Chief Executive Officer of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars Dr. Dieter Zetsche said, “This S-Class spells out where we’re headed with “Intelligent Drive” and what tremendous potential there is in currently available technology. Of course, it would have been a lot easier to take the autobahn for the autonomous drive from Mannheim to Pforzheim. But there was a special motivation for us to carry out this autonomous drive along this very route 125 years after Bertha Benz. After all, we wouldn’t be Mercedes-Benz unless we set ourselves challenging goals and then went on to achieve them.”