• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • Your Membership
    • Edit Your Profile
  • Services
    • Advertising
    • Case studies
    • Design
    • Email marketing
    • Lead generation
    • Magazine
    • Press releases
    • Publishing
    • Sponsored posts
    • Webcasting
    • Webinars
    • White papers
    • Writing
  • Shop
    • My Account
    • Cart
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy
    • Terms of use
  • Events

Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

  • News
  • Features
  • Video
  • Webinars
  • White papers
  • Press releases
  • Featured companies
    • BlueBotics
    • SICK Sensor Intelligence
    • Vicor Power
mercedes s class bertha benz

Daimler using deep learning to teach autonomous cars to drive themselves

July 27, 2016 by Sam Francis

German auto giant Daimler is using deep learning techniques to teach its autonomous cars how to drive, and is boasting it has produced the smartest car in its market. 

The company is also working with Bosch and others on developing a smart car parking system, whereby human customers can simply pick up or drop off their cars in a designated area, perhaps at the entrance of a car park, and the car will go and park itself, or will come to the customer, depending on what’s required.

Daimler owns the Mercedes brand, among others, such as Benz, which is named after Carl Benz, who is credited with inventing the first motor vehicle 125 years ago. The original vehicle has been a celebrated museum piece for many decades. 

Now, the company is placing one of its latest models in a museum – the S Class Bertha Benz, which in 2013 successfully drove itself autonomously from Mannheim to Pforzheim, a distance of about 90 kilometres. The journey was the same as the first one made in a Mercedes motor vehicle, by Carl Benz and his wife, Bertha.

Daimler claims the S Class Bertha Benz journey of 2013 was “the world’s first independent trip through the normal intercity and city traffic”, and the pioneering nature of it is what earned itself a place in a museum, albeit in the Mercedes-Benz Museum.

Professor Dr Thomas Weber, member of the board of Daimler, responsible for group research and Mercedes-Benz cars development, says: “The sum of all technologies for networking of modern assistance systems makes the E-Class the smartest sedan in its class.”

The highly automated E-Class series was awarded a trial license for autonomous driving on the roads in Nevada, US, earlier this year. The vehicle features the company’s autonomous technology – called Drive Pilot – and Active Brake Assist, as well as pedestrian detection and other features.

However, Daimler-Benz-Mercedes is realistic about the challenges that remain in bringing fully autonomous cars to the mass market.

It says the networking of sensors needs to be further optimized. For example, the weather: rain, snow, and their associated pollution pose a great challenge, says the company.

“Another challenge is how the car interprets and distinguishes between different lights,” says Professor Dr Ralf Herrtwich, head of vehicle automation and suspension systems at Mercedes-Benz.

For example, if there are many signals at an intersection, the challenge is to identify the exact set of traffic lights that is relevant to the vehicle. Other graphical lights – such as arrows – must also be detected and processed by the car. Some of these graphics can be quite complex or only a few pixels in size from a distance. Additionally, they are frequently backlit.

“We are at the technical edge of the detection performance of current vision sensors,” says Herrtwich.

Another focus is on a more accurate environmental recognition through better image understanding. “Using deep-learning methods, the way vehicles classify their environment has improved significantly,” says Herrtwich.

So-called deep-learning computers interpret images not pixel by pixel, but holistically. The vehicle computer does not need to be trained on every detail. It recognizes key features and similarities of images and is able to interpret typical structures of street scenes of a city and to transmit to those of another city.

The development of the vehicle sensor system for even better environment detection and more comprehensive networking of vehicles with each other and with the infrastructure, are the building blocks on the way to make cars more intelligent.

The goal is to relieve drivers further so the vehicle can act autonomously in stressful situations.

However, the ultimate responsibility still remains with the driver. The driver always has the opportunity to intervene. With the integration of deep-learning methods that developers follow what Daimler calls a “revolutionary goal”: the development of fully automated guided vehicles.

mercedes car2go

A pilot project involving Bosch, car2go and Daimler was launched last year. The aim of the project involves developing technology that can automate the parking of a car in a parking garage.

Using a smartphone, a vehicle is booked on car2go. Once the user is ready in the pick-up zone of the parking garage, the car moves forward automatically and the journey can begin. The return is just as convenient, say the companies.

The customer returns the vehicle to the drop zone, and using a smartphone can put vehicle back. From smart parking system detects the car is started and led to an assigned parking space.

It follows in the next step the idea that car-sharing deals would generally customer-friendly, says Daimler. Customers would not need to find and bring their vehicles, instead it would automatically go to them.

Daimler says this is “a quite realistic scenario in its implementation”, adding it is “working intensively together with partners” on the car2go system.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Print
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Skype
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram
  • Pocket

You might also like…

Filed Under: Features, News, Transportation Tagged With: autonomous, benz, car, cars, daimler, deep learning, mercedes-benz, networking, parking, vehicle, vehicles

Join the Robotics & Automation News community

Primary Sidebar

Latest articles

  • How robots and RPA will change the business of the future
  • The Pros and Cons of Selling vs Trading in Your Vehicle
  • How to Ensure Your Drivers Stay Safe on the Road
  • Reasons Why You Need to Buy a Rotary Fill and Seal Coffee Packaging Machine
  • Fulfyld selects inVia Robotics to automate warehouses
  • DB Schenker to operate zero-emission autonomous ship for Ekornes
  • Southie Autonomy secures $2.5 million seed funding and $5 million in robot lease financing
  • Daimler Truck makes strategic investment in Apex.AI
  • Berkshire Grey launches new mobile robotic platform
  • Clearpath Robotics launches latest version of TurtleBot

Most Read

  • Top 20 electric vehicle charging station companies
    Top 20 electric vehicle charging station companies
  • Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
    Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
  • Track your lost Android
    Track your lost Android
  • Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers
    Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers
  • Top 25 vertical farming companies
    Top 25 vertical farming companies
  • The Best Mechanical Engineering Design Software in 2022
    The Best Mechanical Engineering Design Software in 2022
  • Wood that’s twice as expensive as gold? Really?
    Wood that’s twice as expensive as gold? Really?
  • Top 10 graphics processing unit manufacturers: Nvidia clearly in the lead
    Top 10 graphics processing unit manufacturers: Nvidia clearly in the lead
  • Industrial robot costs to drop by half in the next three years
    Industrial robot costs to drop by half in the next three years
  • What You Need to Know About Fixing an Engine Misfire
    What You Need to Know About Fixing an Engine Misfire

Overused words

abb ai applications automated automation automotive autonomous business china companies company control customers data design development digital electric global industrial industry logistics machine manufacturing market mobile platform process production robot robotic robotics robots safety software solution solutions system systems technologies technology time vehicle vehicles warehouse

Secondary Sidebar

Latest news

  • How robots and RPA will change the business of the future
  • The Pros and Cons of Selling vs Trading in Your Vehicle
  • How to Ensure Your Drivers Stay Safe on the Road
  • Reasons Why You Need to Buy a Rotary Fill and Seal Coffee Packaging Machine
  • Fulfyld selects inVia Robotics to automate warehouses
  • DB Schenker to operate zero-emission autonomous ship for Ekornes
  • Southie Autonomy secures $2.5 million seed funding and $5 million in robot lease financing
  • Daimler Truck makes strategic investment in Apex.AI
  • Berkshire Grey launches new mobile robotic platform
  • Clearpath Robotics launches latest version of TurtleBot

Footer

We are…

Robotics and Automation News was established in May, 2015, and is now one of the most widely-read websites in its category.

Please consider supporting us by becoming a paying subscriber, or through advertising and sponsorships, or by purchasing products and services through our shop – or a combination of all of the above.

Thank you.

Independent

Archivists

July 2016
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Jun   Aug »

Complex

Old-skool

This website and its associated magazine, and weekly newsletter, are all produced by a small team of experienced journalists and media professionals.

If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to contact us at any of the email addresses on our contact page.

We’d be happy to hear from you, and will always reply as soon as possible.

Future-facing

Free, fair and legal

We support the principles of net neutrality and equal opportunities.

Member of The Internet Defense League

Copyright © 2022 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT