Mercedes-Benz Intelligent World Drive, USA - Research and Development North America Inc
When the school bus stops, all other vehicles around have to stop too. Speed limit signs exist that are not found anywhere else in the world. There are dedicated lanes for carpools, laws permitting traffic overtaking on the right, and lane markings consisting of raised “dots” instead of painted lines. Road traffic in the USA makes many specific demands on the sensor systems and algorithms of vehicles equipped with automated and autonomous technology. The aim of the Intelligent World Drive on five continents was to gain worldwide insight into real traffic conditions so that future, more automated driving systems can be adapted to country-specific traffic and user habits. On the final leg of the Mercedes-Benz Intelligent World Drive in California and Nevada, the test vehicle - based on the S-Class series-production sedan - gathered valuable, USA-specific information for the further development of driving assistance systems. The automated test drives in the greater Los Angeles area, and subsequently to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, concentrated on the assessment of driving behaviour in dense city traffic and on highways. The focus was particularly on the recognition of school buses, lane markings, and speed limit signs. In addition the innovative DIGITAL LIGHT system was tested.