Daimler has made some significant strides in the autonomous vehicle arena, with its Mercedes-Benz trucks already hitting the road in trials and its Mercedes E-Class vehicles the first to be approved for autonomous testing in Nevada. But even leaders of the pack can sometimes do with a helping hand, as demonstrated by Daimler's teaming up with Bosch to get self-driving cars on the road by the start of the next decade.
Daimler and the auto-parts manufacturer have entered into a development agreement designed to usher in the era of autonomous vehicles. That means developing a "production-ready" system for driverless cars on urban roads, with a view to deploying it in SAE Level 4 fully autonomous vehicles and SAE Level 5 driverless vehicles.
According to Daimler, the partnership will mix its own "total vehicle expertise" with Bosch's system and hardware expertise. The central aim is to develop software and algorithms for autonomous driving systems in urban environments, with a view to improving traffic flow and increasing safety.
With full autonomy the stated aim, Daimler imagines a future where the vehicle comes to the driver and not the other way around. It sees customers hailing self-driving share cars with their smartphone, something that would also create new possibilities around mobility for those who can't drive on their own.
Source: Daimler