The new S-Class is considerably
cleverer than you, says Jesse Crosse. Try not to snore while it drives for you
When the new Mercedes S-Class arrives in
showrooms in 2013 it will be equipped with technology so advanced, drivers
might think they’ve landed on the set of cult TV series Knight Rider. For the
first time the flagship Mercedes is equipped with human-like 3D stereo vision.
Thanks to a new Stereo Multi-Purpose Camera (SMPC), it’s capable of accurately
identifying objects it sees, including people and animals. Using a technique
called ‘sensor fusion’, the cameras work together with radar sensors, so the
S-Class can steer when the driver’s attention wanders and avoid other cars,
people and animals.
The
new S-Class is considerably cleverer than you
The S-Class is also the first production
vehicle in the world without a single light bulb fitted to it. Blazing LED
headlights adapt to avoid blinding oncoming traffic and have a ‘spot lamp’
function for picking out pedestrians and animals at night. Tail lights vary in
intensity, consuming less power and reducing fuel consumption and CO2.
Pre-Scan, which uses the radar sensors to scan the road ahead and proactively
adjust the adaptive suspension system to suit the surface, is expected to
appear later in the life cycle of the S-Class and is designed to maintain a
smooth ride on variable surfaces. A similar technology called Terra-Scan, which
relies on radar sensors mounted on the roof, appeared on the Ener-G-Force SUV
concept displayed at the recent Los Angeles motor show.
The
S-Class is also the first production vehicle in the world without a single
light bulb fitted to it.
Stereo camera gives 3d vision
The huge leap forward in the capability of
the S-Class is due partly to the Stereo Multi-Purpose Camera mounted behind the
windscreen. The camera’s ‘eyes’ have a 3D view of up to 50m in front and a less
detailed view beyond that of up to 500m. Images are processed and ‘fused’ with
information gathered from radar sensors allowing 3D identification of a
pedestrian stepping out (followed by braking if needed) and control of the
headlights. It’ll do an emergency stop at a junction if it spots a vehicle when
the driver doesn’t
360-degree exclusion zone
Six radar sensors of different types and 12
ultrasonic sensors enable the S-Class to build up a 360-degree picture of the
environment around it by working together with the stereo camera using ‘sensor
fusion’. As a result, the improved Active Lane Keeping Assist gives a warning
through the wheel when crossing into an occupied lane and warns of undertaking
maneuvers by others. Even when there are no lane markings and as long as hands
are on the wheel, Steering Assist helps follow the car in front when you
inevitably fall asleep.
Steering
Assist helps follow the car in front when you inevitably fall asleep
Smart led lights think for themselves
and save fuel
Adaptive LED headlights work in conjunction
with the camera, automatically adapting their pattern to avoid dazzling
oncoming cars. An infrared-controlled spotlight module in each headlight picks
out people on the road ahead at night up to 160m away (animals up to 100m), switches
the instrument cluster to a grey image of the road, and highlights pedestrians
and animals in color (zebras in black and white, presumably?). Because LEDs use
less power, they reduce CO2 by 2.1g/km.
