At junctions, it stops, creeps
slowly ahead and goes on when it decides that the coast is clear.
Whoever did the programming did a good job because the car stops and
starts as smoothly as if a trained chauffeur was at the wheel.
It is able to recognise changes in traffic lights and Life! understands it will never attempt to out-run an amber light.
However, it remains to be seen how it will respond to pedestrians.
For instance, if a person is standing near a zebra crossing but shows
no sign of wanting to cross, will the Merc still stop? Or will it be
intelligent enough to recognise body language, facial expressions and
eye movements?
This doubt is raised when the S500 goes up a ramp to join a major
road. It does not seem to slow down despite the road curvature. But
that is fine because the S-class, with its adaptive air suspension and
sturdy chassis, is able to handle such a situation better than lesser
vehicles.
The bigger surprise is how it merges into traffic without any
hesitation, despite the proximity of an oncoming car. That clearly
demonstrates the difference between man and machine.
The latter makes cold calculations based on given parameters. The
former might have given way - not because the space to merge is not
sufficient but perhaps out of courtesy to the other driver.
But if the world was populated by autonomous cars, road courtesy
becomes irrelevant. Then again, autonomous vehicles will never fly into
a rage either.
Daimler offered a sneak preview of this world at its Autonomous
Mobility TecDay here last week, ahead of a public showcase at the
Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.
While the S500 Intelligent Drive still has a steering wheel (and a
prominent red plunger to stop the car in an emergency), the driverless
car of the future dispenses with things associated with the driver.
That means no gear lever, no pedals and no dashboard. A retractable
steering wheel is available for rare moments when manual control is
necessary.
The cabin of such a vehicle will be a new living space. Its main
feature is its variable seating system, with four rotating lounge
chairs that allow occupants to face one another.
Through interactive goggles, visitors are able to "see" what being
in such a car is like. Occupants can control lighting, temperature and
infotainment with a sweep of the hand (like Tom Cruise's character in
Minority Report).
This "digital living space" is networked with an intelligent vehicle
system. That means the car "talks" to other vehicles on the road,
accessing information that will help it to plan routes and avoid
incidents.
Occupants can access a 3-D map of the city and merely point to a building or landmark for the car to take them there.
Such a car will find Singapore challenging, though. The cityscape
here changes so fast even humans have a hard time keeping up. The
constant roadworks and hundreds of road diversions that happen each
year can also be problematic for a driverless car.
Just as well we are starting with autonomous golf buggies in the
confines of the Chinese and Japanese Gardens in Jurong. With a top
speed of 10kmh, they pose minimal risks to flora and fauna.
