The race is on for automakers to be the first to develop and implement a high level of autonomy in their vehicles. Mercedes appears to have recently won a crucial race against Tesla by becoming the first Level-3 autonomous car company in the United States. The Society of Automotive Engineers classifies Level-3 autonomy, also known as conditional automation, as the third level of driving automation (SAE).
In certain circumstances, it allows the car to drive itself, allowing the driver to take their hands off the wheel and feet off the pedals, but the driver must remain alert and take control at all times. Mercedes has come a long way in making its vehicles better and now implementing Level-3 Autonomous certification is a big deal.
The race to become the first Level-3 autonomous car company has been fierce, with many major automakers vying for first place. Tesla and its full self-driving feature were the front-runners, but they were unable to obtain the required certifications in time.
It’s worth noting that Level-3 autonomy is a regulatory grey area. Most countries do not yet have specific regulations for vehicles with level-3 autonomy, and it is unclear what the driver’s and car manufacturers’ legal responsibilities will be in the event of an accident. As a result, for the time being, this project has been approved only in the state of Nevada in the United States.
Drive Pilot, which is a dance between various technologies such as visual cameras, GPS, LiDAR arrays, radar and ultrasound sensors, and audio mics, is the key to Mercedes’ success.
The feature is currently only available in the most recent Mercedes S-Class and EQS Sedan models, which are currently in production and are expected to arrive on the Las Vegas strip in the third quarter of this year.
The development of Level-3 autonomy technology is only the first step toward fully automated driving, and much more work remains to be done. However, Mercedes’ achievement demonstrated that Level-3 autonomy is now a reality, and it set a new standard for the automotive industry.
Level-3 autonomy is expected to pave the way for the development of higher levels of autonomous driving, such as level-4 and level-5 autonomy, as technology advances. Levels 4 and 5 autonomy refer to vehicles that can drive themselves in all conditions without the need for human intervention. However, at these levels, technology is still in development, and it could be several years before we see it on a road near you.
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