Cars - Mercedes has announced Drive Pilot for S-Class and EQS models. This will allow tired drivers to get on the Autobahn with minimal effort. German customers will be able to opt for smart technology from mid-April. That would be 5,000 euros, or about $5,200 for the S-Class, and 7,816 euros, or about $7,800 for the EQS.
This will make Mercedes the first car maker in the world with a valid international certificate for conditional automated driving. The company will provide the intelligent Level 3 autonomous driving system. The system will enable customers to assume driving responsibilities under certain conditions such as traffic congestion or on certain stretches of German motorways.
For now, at least, Mercedes appears to be leading the way in self-driving technology. However, there is still stiff competition from other companies, with Volkswagen focusing on fully autonomous driving.
When activated, the Drive Pilot is responsible for controlling the vehicle through the use of radar, lidar, cameras and ultrasonic sensors. This is in addition to the accurate mapping system. The system also takes the road and traffic lights into account.
In this way, it is able to respond to and deal with unexpected traffic conditions on its own. Mercedes cars can respond to and avoid emergencies by maneuvering or by braking. Mercedes has taken extra safety precautions. And if Drive Pilot fails, the system will simply hand over driving responsibility to the driver. And if the driver does not respond to the request, the system will stop the vehicle safely.
Here, the intelligent drive control system constantly calculates the ideal stopping conditions. And the luxury automaker has great confidence in its system; It has previously said it will take responsibility for any self-driving accidents.