Drive Pilot By Mercedes Benz:
The adoption of autonomous driving is faster than you think. Mercedes Benz is designing a new SAE Level 3 autonomous driving system called Drive Pilot. The new system has a clear focus on safety and aims at transforming the time spent in cars.
Furthermore, the new driving system will reduce manual errors and avoid accidents. Distraction and drowsiness are two significant causes of road accidents. The Drive Pilot will transform the way we drive by overcoming human behaviors.
So, vehicles with this technology will turn into space for relaxation, productivity, and socializing. Currently, the Drive Pilot works with certain conditions on access-controlled freeways. Furthermore, if the system malfunctions or when it is time to leave the highway, it alerts the driver to take back control. Thus, the system alerts the driver if any unusual situations arise, increasing system safety.
How Does Drive Pilot Work?
First of all, the Drive Pilot only works in certain operating conditions. These operating conditions include road type, road features, traffic conditions, weather, etc. This technology will not work outside these operating conditions. It will not engage even if the driver tries to engage it.
The operating conditions include medium to dense traffic, a fully access-controlled highway, and fair weather. First, the Drive Pilot automatically signals the driver about its availability. Then the driver can choose to enable it or not.
Furthermore, when the driver enables it, the system then adapts to the vehicle’s operating parameters. The system monitors the surroundings and adjusts to the changing road conditions. It activates various driving automation like lane centering assist and adaptive cruise control. However, this adaptation is nothing but fading in.
In addition, the system also monitors the drivers as the drivers become fallback users. It is because they have to take back control in an emergency. Once the driving conditions are beyond the control of the Drive Pilot, the system alerts the driver to take back control. If the driver fails to take back control, it activates a failure mitigation system to stop the vehicle safely.
Failure Mitigation:
This technology comes with a failure mitigation strategy. So, the ultimate focus is the occupant’s safety. The system can safely park the vehicle in case of an emergency. We will explain here the mechanism behind the scenes.
First of all, the driver engages the Drive Pilot with all conditions required to run the feature. Then, the Drive Pilot takes control of the vehicle from the driver. Finally, the system continuously monitors the driver’s readiness to take back control.
Furthermore, as and when the Drive Pilot alerts the driver to take back control, the system maintains control of the vehicle until the take-over is complete. The failure mitigation strategy is triggered if the driver doesn’t take over and requests time out.
Then the system begins the failure mitigation strategy. First, it brings the vehicle to a controlled stop and switches on hazard lamps. The system then secures the vehicle from rolling away. Then it places an emergency call to the response center. Lastly, the system unlocks the vehicle doors for easy rescue.
In conclusion, the Mercedes Benz Drive Pilot is a conditional automated system. However, it is the next step forward to fully autonomous driving. We are sure fully autonomous driving will be here very soon.
Image courtesy: Mercedes Benz
Watch Drive Pilot in action:
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