Mercedes-Benz autonomous bus

Equipped with autonomous technology adapted for city use, the Mercedes-Benz Future Bus has been put to the test on the streets of Amsterdam.

Demonstrated on a section of the longest bus rapid transit (BRT) line in Europe, the vehicle drove itself on a 20-km (12-mile) route at speeds of up to 70 km/h (43.5 mph), during which it stopped at bus stops, opened and closed the doors, communicated with traffic lights and successfully avoided all obstacles nearby, from pedestrians to cars.

Daimler, which became the world's first manufacturer to put a city bus through a real-life traffic situation, had a driver on board to monitor the CityPilot system, which can be activated by pressing a button and disengaged by a slight steer or touch of the accelerator or brake pedal.

The system uses long- and short-range radar, satellite-controlled GPS navigation, large cameras, and sensors that mostly came from the Future Truck 2025 Concept. Moreover, it can also communicate via Wi-Fi with the route infrastructure to receive info on traffic light status, taking advantage this way of the green wave.

Read more at Carscoops

Image Credit: Mercedes-Benz

-jk-