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Mercedes-Benz Autonomous Driving (Drive Pilot) Gets Approved In California
It’s a huge deal for Mercedes and a result of a year’s hard work going through the DMV approval procedure. The company released its Drive Pilot function in Europe last year and it was approved in Germany for use on about 13,000 km of highways, then earlier this year Nevada approved the software for use on its highways. The approval from California DMV is bound to be followed by many more states.
Unlike many other autonomous driving systems, Mercedes’ Drive Pilot is a true Level 3 system. While GM’s Super Cruise or Ford’s BlueCruise allows the driver to take the hands off the wheel, the driver has to pay constant attention to the road. Both systems monitor the driver, and as soon as their eyes are not peeled to the road, they issue warning and in some situations, disengage.
The Drive Pilot takes the autonomous drive a step further. Drivers can not only take their hands off the wheel but are allowed to do other things – talk to passengers while facing them, use the car’s infotainment to watch a movie or play a game – read a book or news while driving is going to become a more common sight from now on. The vehicle still monitors the driver and requires them to pay attention, the only no-no is sleeping or attempting to cover up the face to hide it from the car’s cameras. In that instance, the vehicle will fire a warning and request the driver to take over.
While the Drive Pilot is approved in Germany to drive on highways with speeds of up to 60 km/h and in heavy traffic situations, its US approval puts the limit at 64 km/h. California DMV issued additional restrictions – drivers won’t be allowed to use the system on city or county roads, in construction zones, during heavy rain or heavy fog, on flooded roads, or during extreme weather conditions.
Mercedes Drive Pilot uses a combination of LiDAR sensors, long-range radar, and multi-mode radar, it combines that data with the view from its multiple cameras to provide the system with full situational awareness. Both the steering system and brakes have redundancy built-in to counter any possible scenarios. Both the EQS and S-Class have this feature.
