Mercedes-Benz is the first automaker with certified Level 3 autonomy!
Becomes the first carmaker in the world to achieve level 3 autonomous driving requirements for their "Drive Pilot" system.
Mercedes has become the first carmaker on the planet to meet the UN-157 global auto regulations, which enables the company to include Level 3 autonomy in their cars. The system Mercedes will use is called “Drive Pilot”, and will feature in the upcoming EQS and S-Class.
Drive Pilot is a very sophisticated piece of tech, and is quite versatile as well. It enables the system to have a mind of it’s own- taking full control of steering, accelerating and braking without needing any sort of human input. This is also the first Level 3 driving system to have been approved by the German Federal Motor Transport Authority.
Drive Pilot can go upto a speed of 60KPH on the motorways, and lets the driver relax while the system handles the driving. A certain set of infotainment apps are unlocked only once Drive Pilot is enabled, which means that the driver can watch a movie, shop online or browse internet as well! The driver needs to be ready to take over from the system in case of any contingency though.
There’s a failsafe in place if the driver doesn’t take control as well- if the warnings go unanswered or ignored, the system will slowly pull over the car, activates an emergency calling system and unlocks the doors to allow ease of access in and out of the cabin. The S-Class and EQS are loaded to the brim with sensors, cameras and even tech like LIDAR, so it’s unlikely that the driver would need to do much at all, and Drive Pilot would do all the work!
