Mercedes-Benz's
Self-Driving Car Is A Living Room on Wheels
Brian
Barrett | January 5, 2014
The German car company Mercedes-Benz
wants to change how people think about cars. They unveiled the futuristic self-driving
F 015 concept car at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
"Anyone who focuses solely on
the technology has not yet grasped how self-driving cars will change our
society," said Mercedes Chief Executive Officer Dieter Zetsche, when
introducing the vehicle. "The car is growing beyond its role as a mere
means of transport and will ultimately become a mobile living space."
Until now, automakers such as Mercedes and
Volkswagen, and Audi have largely focused on developing automated systems, including
braking and steering, that make cars safer and easier to operate.
The F 015 luxury sedan concept,
with its spacious interior and lounge-like seating for four, explores new
possibilities for self-driving cars that can double as virtual living rooms on
wheels. In keeping with Mercedes tradition and the concept's "luxury in
motion" theme, the ultra-modern passenger space is trimmed in polished
wood, nappa leather, sparkling aluminum and glass, with soft blue LED lighting.
The F 015 can be operated autonomously or
manually. When the vehicle is in fully driverless mode, the four motorized
lounge chairs can be rotated to allow face-to-face conversations. When required
for manual operation, the driver's chair swivels back to face forward.
To facilitate connectivity
with the outside world, the F 015 is equipped with six digital display screens
throughout the cabin. The screens can be activated via gestures, eye-tracking
or touch.
Mercedes wrapped all that fancy
hardware and software in a lightweight, impact-resistant structure of
carbon-fiber, aluminum and high-strength steel. The concept was also designed
to accommodate an electric motor and hydrogen fuel cell.
The F 015 represents a huge leap
forward conceptually and stylistically from previous self-driving cars, which
have focussed mainly on convincing consumers they are safe.
Its aim is to carry you to your
destination while providing the level of comfort of any living room or living
room couch.
In 2013 the F 015 drove itself on
a 100-kilometer journey trough Germany. This journey traced the path driven 125
years earlier by Bertha Benz, wife of company co-founder Karl Benz, in one of
the world's first gasoline-powered automobiles.
Mercedes currently equips several
of its production vehicles with a variety of semi-automated systems, including
parking assist, traffic jam assist and steering assist, but the F 015 is
entirely autonomous.
The F 015 is covered in a great
many sensors and cameras to allow it to "see" what's around it, avoid
any collisions, and move easily along the road. When driving, the F 015 can
communicate with GPS and other cars on the road, allowing it to move at much
higher speeds, much more safely, than a human driven car could ever do.
While the F 015, and many other
self driving cars, have been around for a few years, many people are still
hesitant to let the machine take over while they are in the car driving.
A magazine article from 1960,
pictured below, gives some indication of how science fiction may actually be
coming true.
