Touch the future in advance: Mercedes-Benz ADAS system technology analysis

In the movies, whether it is "Blade Runner" or "The Fifth Element", they have imagined the future of cars and transportation. Everyone unanimously imagines the future as a highly automated society, in which self-driving cars have become an essential symbol of the future. Then the ADAS system has become a necessary prerequisite for self-driving. As the inventor of the car, Mercedes-Benz also has its own ADAS system. This system allows you to touch the future in advance!

1. What is ADAS system?

Everyone will be unfamiliar with these letters when they first see them. Its full name is Advanced Driving Assistant System, which mainly emphasizes the words "driving assistance". It uses various sensors installed on the car to collect environmental data outside the car at the first time, and performs technical processing such as identification, detection and tracking of static and dynamic objects, so that the driver can perceive possible dangers as quickly as possible. After years of development, this system has gradually changed from passive alarm to active intervention, which also avoids many dangers.

2. Hardware Support

A complete ADAS system must have hardware support. Take the Mercedes-Benz E-Class as an example . The Mercedes-Benz E-Class has quite a lot of hardware equipment. The bottom is surrounded by 8 ultrasonic sensors that generate echo signals to determine the location of obstacles. The ACC radar probe is inside the center grille, which is one of the key devices in the adaptive cruise control system.

In fact, in addition to these independent individuals, the most important part is the brain of the vehicle, that is, the vehicle's main control ECU, which is responsible for integrating the information collected by these sensors and conveying instructions to other control components. Therefore, this brain needs to have a very high computing power. After all, in front of a computer, the human brain's reaction speed and the speed of executing instructions are out of reach. It is also this time difference that can nip the danger in the bud. This is the significance of the existence of the ADAS system.

3. Software Features

Mercedes-Benz ADAS system is now quite powerful. It includes intelligent navigation distance limit function, intelligent navigation steering function, active braking assistance system, avoidance steering assistance system and other functions. Let’s analyze them one by one for you below.

Intelligent pilot distance limit function:

This intelligent pilot distance limit function is actually a relatively complete ACC adaptive cruise control system. First, it uses the radar sensor in the front grille and the binocular camera behind the windshield to automatically adjust the pre-selected specified distance within the speed range of 0-210 km/h, and it can brake even when driving fast. When approaching a stationary vehicle, it can apply automatic braking of up to 130 km/h. These are high-speed situations, and in life there are also road conditions such as loops where the speed is not too fast. This function can also automatically restart within 60 seconds of parking in congestion (if the vehicle stops for more than 60 seconds, the driver must restart it manually), which can reduce the driver's stress regardless of long-distance driving or stop-and-go traffic conditions.

Intelligent navigation steering function:

The intelligent pilot steering function can realize active lane change assistance (only with the hard disk navigation system) and active emergency parking assistance. In layman's terms, it is a lane keeping system that can correct direction. It can detect the movement trajectory of the vehicle in front and lane markings. Even if there are no lane lines, it can achieve direction control according to the driving trajectory of the vehicle in front.

Active Brake Assist

The active brake assist system is easier to understand. This system is active braking. The Mercedes-Benz ADAS system can not only detect vehicles in front, but also detect pedestrians suddenly appearing from both sides of the road through the lateral detection function. When there is a possible risk of collision, it reminds the driver through visual and auditory means, and applies a certain braking force to reduce the occurrence of risks.

Evasive Steering Assist

Active Lane Keeping Assist

The active lane keeping assist system works in two stages. The first stage is active steering intervention: in the vehicle speed range of 60-200 km/h, the corresponding red icon in the instrument panel flashes, and in the second stage a more obvious warning will be issued, the steering wheel will vibrate noticeably, the corresponding red icon in the instrument panel will also flash, and the assistance system icon will be displayed on the display. When used with the ambient lighting system, the hazard warning display will also be activated. In daily use, if you accidentally leave the lane or dangerously approach vehicles on other roads, the system will intervene in the steering and return the vehicle to the correct lane in time. If you still leave the lane, the system will issue an additional warning in the form of steering wheel vibration.

Active Blind Spot Assist

This active blind spot assistance system not only has auxiliary lights on the rearview mirror, but also displays danger warnings through the ambient lighting system if the active ambient lighting is selected. When actively changing lanes, the vehicle will detect and identify the situation behind (such as vehicles, electric vehicles, bicycles). When there is a risk of scratching, the vehicle will remind the driver through visual, auditory and vibration methods, and will actively correct it to ensure driving safety. Another situation is that when getting off the car, people often don’t pay attention to the side and rear vehicles. When the hand moves to the door handle, it also has a safety warning function for leaving the car, which will also remind the driver and passengers to avoid danger.

Preventive safety system (PRE-SAFE®)

When a side collision is detected, the PRE-SAFE® seat impulse side impact protection function moves the seat towards the middle of the vehicle, making it more centered and closer to the B-pillar, using the sturdy B-pillar to withstand the impact. At the same time, this impulse protection system can use the air cavity in the side support of the seat back. When the on-board sensors determine that a side collision is inevitable, the air cavity will expand rapidly in a fraction of a second and transmit a lateral thrust to the occupants. This can increase the distance between the occupants and the door. Not only that, this can also reduce the relative speed between the vehicle and the occupants, reducing the severity of the subsequent collision with the door panel.

Head-up display system for real-time scene crossing

There is a more advanced function in the Mercedes-Benz ADAS system, which is currently only equipped on the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class models. It is a head-up display system with real-scene crossing. The display area of ​​this huge AR-HUD system is equivalent to a 77-inch display. When driving, animated arrows are projected in virtual form on the actual environment 10 meters away from the driver's windshield, just like being in an AR game, which improves the accuracy of guidance.

AR real scene enhancement function

Mercedes-Benz EQC is equipped with AR real-scene enhancement function. When the vehicle sets the destination in the navigation function, the central control screen will display the road image captured by the camera at key points along the way, such as when changing lanes or turning, and add arrows and other signs to guide the driver to the correct path. Compared with voice and animation prompts in navigation, this function is more intuitive and practical.

Intelligent parking system with reversing image

Although automatic parking is nothing new, Mercedes-Benz is making this function more and more sophisticated, making full use of the vehicle's radar probes and cameras, and cooperating with the on-board computer to perform automatic steering, braking and shifting, with basically no human involvement.

Summarize:

Mercedes-Benz ADAS system now covers quite a few of its car series, but people are not used to using this system now. At the same time, the current laws and regulations on driving assistance are not very perfect, and Mercedes-Benz is not too aggressive and transfers the risk to consumers. Mercedes-Benz will also do enough testing and debugging according to daily use scenarios in China, and is committed to doing the ultimate and excellent projects under the existing laws and regulations. At present, Mercedes-Benz's ADAS system already has quite a lot of functions, which can provide more assistance to drivers. In the future, as the inventor of the car, Mercedes-Benz will surely come up with more technologies to make driving easier.