The self-driving limo keeps its tour dates.
The wave of vehicular autonomy continues, with Mercedes-Benz this week talking about its extensive testing schedule in the United States. With its unique road markings and sign formats, the US has presented specific challenges to the team, with their mastery a requirement before the German carmaker rolls out its hands-off driving systems.
A fully-autonomous S-Class limousine has been doing its rounds in Los Angeles, with this phase of testing focusing on the understanding of the US’ unique road markings (which uses dots in place of traditional lines), as well as its speed limit signs, as well as the palaver surrounding school busses.
Speed limit signs in the US are unique, taking a different shape and size to those traditionally found throughout the world. This tests the capabilities of the autonomous S-Class to recognise, and then adhere to, the differing signs. These, together with the more challenging ‘Botts Dots’ used in place of more typical lane markings promise to give autonomous cars a proper headache, hence why the autonomous S-Class is in the US for this particular phase of testing.
School buses are also a unique issue in the United States. In America, it’s mandated by law that all vehicles in the immediate vicinity of a school bus must halt when a school bus driver stops and flicks on specific warning lights. As a result, autonomous Mercedes vehicles must be able to recognise those stop signs and react appropriately, and to do so they need to be able to recognise school busses specifically against other traffic, which is harder than you might think.
The ongoing tests in Los Angeles are a part of Mercedes-Benz’s ‘Intelligent World Drive,’ where the Stuttgart marque will deploy its autonomous S-Class in countries and regions around the world to face the highly specific challenges that exist in different parts of the world. The S-Class has so far managed to navigate the driving behaviour in Shanghai, and handle the pedestrians in South Africa, as well as master the ‘hook turn’ in Melbourne.
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