S 500 INTELLIGENT DRIVE
Self-Driving Experiments at
Mercedes-Benz
Gregor Zetsche
Driver Assistance and Chassis Systems - Group Research and Advanced Engineering
The Historic Bertha Benz Route
In August 1888, Bertha Benz
took her husband's Patentmotorwagen
at dawn and, together with her two sons,
drove to Pforzheim to visit her family.
She arrived shortly before midnight
after what later became known as
the world's first overland drive.
Project Context
Four steps towards autonomous driving
Level 4
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
Single control functions
such as speed selection,
braking or lane keeping
are automated
More than one control
function is automated
Driver expected to be
available for control
at all times and
on short notice
Vehicle takes control
most of the time
Driver expected to be
available for occasional
control with comfortable
transition times
Vehicle takes control
all of the time
Driver not expected to be
available for control at any
time
Freedom for the Driver Yet to be Defined
Fully automated
Not automated
Complexity of Automation
Low ego velocity
High ego velocity
Structured
traffic
environment
Traffic Jam
Highway
Step1
Step 3
Chaotic
traffic
environment
Parking
Step 2
Off-Highway
Bertha Benz
Step 4
Drive
The Bertha Benz Drive
Vehicle Base
Regular S 500 with all
emergency braking systems
enabled as underlying
protection
Sensors
Overland
Few road users, unobstructed view, dedicated lanes
Cyclists
Driving around dynamic obstacles
Pedestrians
Stopping for pedestrians at crosswalks
Intersections
Stopping at traffic lights at intersections
Traffic Light
Turning
Observing cross and oncoming traffic
(possible manual confirm)
Findings from Bertha
The Good
Sensors
Actuators
Motion Planning
The Bad
The Ugly
Sensors
Localization / Mapping
More & wider distance
Pre-mapping
Actuators
Traffic Lights
Steering
Recognition
Social Interaction
Hand sign, intention
Rough Roadmap
Complexity of Automation
Low ego velocity
High ego velocity
Structured
traffic
environment
Traffic Jam
Highway
Step1
Step 3
Chaotic
traffic
environment
Parking
Off-Highway
Step 2
Step 4
Likely Rollout
Now
> 2015
> 2020
> 2025
Traffic Jam
Highway
Step1
Step 3
Parking
Off-Highway
Step 2
Step 4
Thank you four your attention