What urban public transport will look like in the future is shown by Mercedes-Benz’s semi-automated city bus with CityPilot. Mercedes say it operates even more safely, efficiently and comfortably than a conventional bus – it certainly looks the part.
Connectivity plus camera and radar systems with data fusion are catapulting the bus into the future – the technology of the CityPilot in the Mercedes-Benz Future Bus is based on that of the autonomously driving Mercedes-Benz Actros truck with Highway Pilot presented two years ago. It has however undergone substantial further development specifically for use in a city bus, with numerous added functions.
The CityPilot is able to recognise traffic lights, communicate with them and safely negotiate junctions controlled by them. It can also recognise obstacles, especially pedestrians on the road, and brake autonomously. It approaches bus stops automatically, where it opens and closes its doors. And not least, it is able to drive through tunnels.
