July 06, 2018 – DaimlerMercedes-Benz research vehicles (level 4) in Beijing, marking a major new milestone in the company’s local research and development efforts in China. Urban traffic is one of the biggest challenges on the road to autonomous driving. With this approval, Mercedes-Benz test vehicles will now begin real road tests to further perfect the technology in the Chinese capital of Beijing, a metropolis with unique and complex urban traffic situations.
As a global pioneer in developing automated driving technology, Mercedes-Benz has already obtained automated driving test licenses in Germany and the U.S., and has continuously pushed forward automated driving development in China, working together with its local partners to adapt its technologies to China’s traffic environment for consistently improving the safety of all road users as its first concern. To qualify for the license, Mercedes-Benz vehicles equipped with additional technical applications from Baidu Apollo undertook extensive testing at the National Pilot Zone (Beijing and Hebei) for Intelligent Mobility, with test drivers receiving rigorous automated driving training.
Autonomous driving is a key pillar of our global C.A.S.E. strategy, and today’s announcement marks a major step forward for our innovation efforts here in China. We demonstrate our commitment to furthering the development of China’s automotive industry through continually expanding the scope of our local research and development.
Hubertus Troska Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz AG, responsible for Greater China
Mercedes-Benz has been setting standards in vehicle safety throughout its long history of technical innovations. In particular, the Intelligent Drive assistance systems have major advancements on the road to autonomous driving. The Mercedes-Benz S Class and E Class sedans offer cutting-edge partially automated driving technology through Intelligent Drive. For instance, the new DIGITAL LIGHT technology increases safety through extending the visual support for driving assistance systems through sensors that detect other road users and adapt light distribution in all situations.
Mercedes-Benz has also actively expanded local R&D in the fields of automated driving and vehicle safety, extending its cooperation with local partners. Together with Baidu, Mercedes-Benz is engaging in research on safer solutions in automated driving for China through the open source Apollo autonomous driving platform. The goal is a deep understanding of the special requirements for automated driving in China, and to develop an early intuition regarding local technical trends. In addition, through their joint Research Center for Sustainable Transportation, Mercedes-Benz and China’s renowned Tsinghua University since 2012 have supported research projects related to sustainable transportation in a China-specific road environment. With a focus on increasing safety for all road users, research conducted by the Center has included gathering data on typical traffic situations, research on ‘vision-based detection of vulnerable road users’ (VRU), and creating digital models of the East Asian human body proportions for simulation of crash tests.
