Tag: Mercedes Benz

Enhanced safety for pedestrians

The ability to detect pedestrians on the road and highlight them on the display in the instrument cluster to warn the driver has been a fea-ture of the Active Night View Assist Plus since 2009. Now Mercedes-Benz is presenting the latest development stage of the system as a world premiere in the form of a spotlight function. The new assistance system goes a significant step further: it highlights the possible source of danger in the driver’s immediate field of vision by specifically directing light on people on the road. A positive side effect of this is that the pedestrian is also alerted to the presence of the approaching vehi-cle. The new spotlight function will be included as a standard fea-ture of the Active Night View Assist Plus in a luxury class Mercedes model from the summer of 2011.

Imagine the scenario: you are driving at night on a dark country road and suddenly a pedestrian appears as if from nowhere – almost every driver must have encountered such a daunting moment at some point. Striking a passer-by is one of the worst things that could happen to a driver. According to research by the German Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt), five times as many pedestrians are killed on country roads at night than during the day. Another statistic from the BASt is as equally shocking: only 20 percent of car journeys take place at night – however this is the time when some 40 percent of fatal accidents occur.

With the the new spotlight function for the Active Night View Assist Plus, Mercedes-Benz is for the first time presenting an active light system which provides a completely new level of safety at night. If the night vision camera detects people on or near the road, they are automatically flashed with the spotlight function to alert the driver to the potential danger. As a positive side effect, pedestrians are also alerted to the approaching vehicle. Studies have confirmed that pedestrians do actually become aware of the spotlight function. Other road users are not dazzled as illumination does not occur if other road users who happen to be travelling in front or approaching in the opposite direction are located near the pedestrian.

The new spotlight function will be included as a standard feature of Active Night View Assist Plus in a luxury class Mercedes model from the summer of 2011. “Just like many other safety innovations from Mercedes-Benz, the new spotlight function forming part of the Active Night View Assist Plus is geared towards how accidents actually occur”, according to Dr. Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management responsible for Group Research and Head of Development, Mercedes-Benz Cars. “The aim of this development was to prevent the particularly serious consequences of collisions with pedestrians at night. With this concept, a Mercedes-Benz fitted with the spotlight function not only protects its occupants, but also makes a significant contribution towards enhancing safety for other road users”, explains Dr. Weber. The popularity of enhanced night-time driving safety among customers is reflected in the success story enjoyed by Active Night Assist, which was introduced in 2005: currently more than half of global orders for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class include the system.

The new spotlight function was developed by the camera and light experts at Mercedes-Benz in Sindelfingen.

In detail: how the spotlight function actually works

Caution, pedestrian on the road!

The Night View Assist Plus with new spotlight function is a complex combination of a variety of technical functions. Infrared headlamps, night vision camera, multipurpose camera, spotlight headlamps, instrument cluster display and headlamp switch are all coordinated by several control units using complex software.

This is how the innovative safety feature works in detail: the spotlight function is enabled when the driver switches on Adaptive Highbeam Assist as normal (by turning the rotary light switch to the “Auto” position and pushing the steering-column stalk forward into the main beam position) and activates Active Night View Assist Plus by pressing the adjacent button. The spotlight function is then enabled at speeds above 45 km/h. A corresponding icon in the night vision image notifies the driver that the spotlight function is switched on/active. At speeds below 40 km/h, the spotlight function is automatically disabled. The driver can also disable the function at will, by moving the steering-column stalk from the main beam position into the centre, neutral position (the usual procedure for dimming the lights).

The spotlight function uses infrared technology to detect pedestrians at a range of up to 80 metres: two separate light sources in the headlamps illuminate the road with invisible, non-dazzling infrared light. A windscreen-mounted camera designed to pick up precisely this type of light records what happens in front of the car. The captured image is sent to a display in the instrument cluster. The clear, needle-sharp image that appears here shows the scene in front of the vehicle, allowing the driver to see pedestrians, cyclists or obstacles on the road at an early stage. As soon as the system detects any pedestrians in front of the car, they are highlighted in the display by the Active Night View Assist Plus. A second camera, also used as a so-called multipurpose camera by the Speed Limit Assist and Lane Keeping Assist, detects whether the vehicle is being driven at night. It also records the position of other road users travelling in front or approaching from the opposite direction. All of this information is used by the electronic control unit to decide whether a detected pedestrian is to be flashed with the spotlight function as a warning. For variable light distribution, a groove cut into the profile of the headlamps helps to create a controllable light source, the spotlight. Outside of built-up areas, pedestrians are flashed with the spotlight function up to four times at night, provided they are located within the light cone. If the Adaptive Highbeam Assist has been switched to dipped beam, the pedestrian is flashed with the spotlight function beyond the area of the dipped beam. If on the other hand main beam is activated, this remains on in the left-hand headlamp, while the pedestrian is flashed with the right-hand headlamp. The flashing headlamp then remains dipped for five seconds in order to avoid dazzling the pedestrian during this time.

It is not possible for other road users to be dazzled, since illumination does not occur when other vehicles which are travelling in front or approaching from the opposite direction are located in the same direction as the pedestrian. In addition, the driver can also disable the spotlight function at any time should he so wish using the steering column stalk.

If the pedestrian should disappear from the camera image, for example because the vehicle has already passed him by or he has moved away from the edge of the road, the headlamp returns to full beam again before the five-second period expires, provided that the conditions imposed by the Adaptive Highbeam Assist have been met. This helps to ensure that the driver once again has access to the full main beam function, and therefore the best road illumination, as quickly as possible.

Review

Milestones in lighting technology

Avoiding accidents and mitigating their consequences: this is what Mercedes-Benz’s comprehensive safety philosophy is all about. Achieving optimum visibility as well as being seen in time play a very significant role in this area. A lot of the improvements made to active safety by Mercedes-Benz have come about as a result of the company combining innovative light technology with the latest assistance systems. And other road users often benefit from such measures too. For example, Adaptive Highbeam Assist, which was presented in the E-Class in 2009, helps to prevent the drivers of oncoming vehicles and also vehicles travelling in front from being dazzled.

Mercedes-Benz has always stood for innovations aimed at improving customer benefits. Many of the innovations find their way into volume-produced model series after starting life in research vehicles, such as the ESF 2009, and also via innovation carriers such as the CL and S-Class. Xenon light, for example, has in the meantime become available for all Mercedes-Benz model series and on average has a specification rate of over 55 percent. A similar success story has been enjoyed with the Active Night View Assist: currently more than half of S-Class models are ordered with this feature worldwide. And when it comes to the unique LED High Performance headlamps on the new CLS, the market researchers at Mercedes are predicting a specification rate of more than 80 percent.

Here is a brief chronology of the most important milestones in Mercedes-Benz light technology over the past 20 years:

1991: premiere of xenon headlamps with gas discharge lamps in the Mercedes F 100 research vehicle

1995: xenon headlamps with dynamic headlamp range control in the Mercedes-Benz E-Class

1999: premiere of bi-xenon technology in the Mercedes-Benz CL-Class

2003: world premiere of the active light function in the Mercedes-Benz E-Class

2004: world premiere of bi-xenon headlamps with the active light function and cornering lights in the Mercedes-Benz CLS

2005: premiere of the Active Night View Assist in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class

2006: world premiere of the Intelligent Light System in the E-Class

2009: world premiere of the Intelligent Light System with Adaptive Highbeam Assist in the E-Class

2009: premiere of the Active Night View Assist Plus in the Mercedes-Benz S and E-Class

2010: world premiere of the LED High Performance headlamps with all of the light functions of the Intelligent Light System in the Mercedes CLS

2010: new xenon burners with a 20 percent higher colour temperature, and therefore closer to daylight, in the S and E-Class

2010: world premiere of the spotlight function (in series production from 2011)

Glossary

The A to Z of technical light terms

Adaptive brake light: the brake lights flash to warn drivers behind more effectively if the brakes are applied in an emergency.

Adaptive Highbeam Assist: this system adjusts the range of the headlamps in accordance with the distance to oncoming vehicles/vehicles travelling ahead which are detected.

Active Light System: the Intelligent Light System’s bi-xenon headlamps follow the driver’s steering movements.

Motorway mode: from 90 km/h the entire width of the carriageway is illuminated, improving the driver’s range of vision by around 50 metres.

Bi-xenon headlamps: gas-discharge lamps for low and main beam improve safety at night.

Enhanced foglamps: this function of the Intelligent Light System pivots the offside headlamp outwards to illuminate the road verge more effectively.

Intelligent Light System: this innovative headlamp technology provides five lighting functions which are activated depending on the driving and weather conditions (see also Cornering light function, Country mode, Motorway mode, Active Light System and Enhanced foglamps).

Country mode: this function of the Intelligent Light System replaces the previ-ous low-beam headlamps and provides broader and brighter illumination of the opposite road verge.

LED (Light Emitting Diode): LEDs are based on crystalline semiconductors which directly convert electric power into light. They feature light of a pleasant colour similar to daylight and higher energy efficiency.

Night View Assist Plus: the display in the dashboard shows a realistic grey-scale image of the vehicle surroundings as observed by an infrared camera. Pedes-trians are also additionally highlighted in the display. The new spotlight function also enables pedestrians on or next to the road to be flashed with light and there-fore highlighted in the driver’s immediate field of vision (to be introduced in a luxury-class Mercedes model from the summer of 2011).

LED High Performance headlamps: new light system in the Mercedes CLS. It combines the Intelligent Light System, already tried-and-tested in Mercedes models with bi-xenon headlamps, with LED technology for the first time.

Spotlight: using the spotlight function, pedestrians detected by the Night View Assist Plus can be flashed with the spotlight function light up to four times to warn the drive

There have already been reports that AMG power plants will be used by a future crop of vehicles in Renault-Nissan’s Infinity Performance Line, but apparently the alliance between Renault-Nissan and Daimler isn’t just a one-sided affair. There have been indications that Renault-Nissan will be supplying engines for Merc’s next-gen A-Class and B-Class models. Some French

When Daimler and Renault-Nissan announced a cooperation agreement back in April this year, people who cared knew that it was a matter of time before some Mercedes-Benz or AMG power plants would make their way to Nissan vehicles–at least, the higher end ones. Now, recent reports have it that those engines could likely make their

When it comes to car shows, LA Auto Show almost has got it all! It will be very interesting to find out the entries at the Los Angeles Design Challenge how auto designers partnered with car makers envision the future of cars. Light weight car design is the theme which is a 1,000 pound car

The next-generation Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG four-door coupe will make its world debut at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show, open to the public November 19-28 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Other new Mercedes-Benz models at the L.A. Auto Show will include the redesigned CL coupe and R-Class crossover lines as well as the all-new E-Class Cabriolet. In addition, an update about the launch of the fuel cell-powered Mercedes-Benz F-CELL car will take place during a press conference at the Mercedes-Benz exhibit.

High-Performance CLS63 AMG Four-Door Coupe

Center stage at the L.A. Show, the all-new 2012 CLS63 AMG will be powered by a new 5.5-liter biturbo V8 that produces more power and better fuel economy. With twin turbochargers, direct fuel injection and multi-spark ignition, the new AMG engine will produce 518 horsepower and 516 lb.-ft. of torque. The new CLS63 AMG will also come with AMG’s award-winning MCT (for multi-clutch technology) transmission and innovative systems designed to reduce fuel consumption. For even more performance, the CLS63 AMG will be available with an optional Performance Package that includes increased power – 550 hp and 590 lb.-ft. of torque.

With fresh body lines that accentuate the distinctive shape of the swoopy four-door coupe, the new-generation CLS-Class represents the first major redesign of a car that established an entirely new market segment – the four-door coupe. Defining yet another market segment in an ever-expanding and highly competitive auto industry, the CLS was the first four-door vehicle to combine the emotional appeal and dynamic design of a coupe with the comfort and functionality of a four-door sedan.

The Fuel-Cell-Powered F-CELL

In addition, an update about the U.S. rollout of the fuel-cell-powered Mercedes-Benz F-CELL car will take place at the Mercedes-Benz exhibit during news media activities prior to the public opening of the show. Essentially an electric car that makes its own power on board, the Mercedes-Benz F-CELL boasts 54 miles per gallon (EPA combined city-highway equivalent fuel mileage) and a range of about 230 miles. Running on compressed hydrogen, and with water as the F-CELL’s only exhaust emission, the hydrogen and air react without combustion in the fuel cell, producing current to run the 136-horsepower electric motor. The F-CELL is also equipped with a 35-kilowatt lithium-ion battery that stores recovered braking energy, helps provide instant acceleration and ensures fast starting in very cold weather.

The hydrogen gas is stored in 10,150-psi tanks that can be refueled in only three minutes. Beginning in Southern California, the new F-CELL car is being offered through a lease program in markets with growing networks of hydrogen refueling stations.

Other New Mercedes-Benz Models

The 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL – the company’s premium two-door coupe – is also on display at the L.A. Auto Show. Restyled for 2011, its refinements include an aggressive front hood with two wide recesses and sleeker front fenders incorporating bi-xenon headlights, LED turn signals and daytime running lights. New rear styling features dual exhaust pipes that exit through a new bumper, back-up lights integrated in the trunk lid and LED taillights.

The 2011 CL coupe line is comprised of four distinctive models. The all-wheel-drive CL550 4MATIC is powered by a 4.6-liter version of the new biturbo V8 that produces 429 hp and 516 lb.-ft. of torque. Like the CLS63 AMG, the high-performance CL63 AMG model now comes with AMG’s new 5.5-liter biturbo V8 (536 hp, 590 lb.-ft.) and AMG’s MCT transmission. The V12- powered CL600 (510 hp, 612 lb.-ft.) and the CL65 AMG (621 hp, 738 lb.-ft.) round out the 2011 CL coupe line.

The latest addition to the successful Mercedes-Benz E-Class line, the two-door, four-seat Cabriolet will share the spotlight with the CLS63 AMG and the F-CELL car. The Cabriolet features a classic fabric soft top that can be opened or closed in 20 seconds, even at speeds up to 25 mph. The two-door Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet family is available with the choice of a V6 or V8 engine. The E350 uses the latest four-valve-per-cylinder V6 engine that produces 268 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque, while the E550 model is powered by a 32-valve 5.5- liter V8 delivering 382 hp and 391 lb.-ft. of torque.

The 2011 R-Class crossover features a redesigned front hood and bolder grille as well as new fenders and headlights, sleeker side mirrors and LED taillights. A new rear bumper includes an integrated reflector, dual exhaust outlets and a black air diffuser. The 2011 interior reveals a 3D instrument cluster and “saddle” head restraints for the 2nd and 3rd row seats as well as new wood trim and seat stitching throughout.

About Mercedes-Benz USA

Mercedes-Benz USA, headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States. For more than forty years, MBUSA has taken pride in its commitment to the customer by providing superior quality luxury vehicles coupled with outstanding customer support. More information on MBUSA and its products can be found on the Internet at www.mbusa.com and ww.maybachusa.co

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