Mercedes-Benz throws its hat into the self-driving car ring with the F 015 Luxury in Motion research vehicle, their new self-driving concept car. Revealed in a presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the F015 concept boasts four rotating pedestal seats so that the passengers are facing each other, surrounded by softly glowing Internet-connected displays that can be controlled via eye-tracking and hand gestures, carriage style doors – and of course, self-driving capability.
The view outside can be projected on the inside of the vehicle thanks to six wired, interactive displays. A battery and a hydrogen fuel cell is the driving force; they amount to a range of approximately 680 miles. Simply because this futuristic vehicle has the capability of driving, that doesn’t prevent its passengers from taking over the responsibility at any time during the ride.
What’s really new is the car’s design, which imagines what automobiles might look like in 15 years, when autonomous driving is widespread. Like the driverless-car prototype that Google unveiled last year, the Mercedes F015 radically reconfigures the interior to reflect the potential absence of a human driver.
The Mercedes concept is, befitting the company’s market position, all about luxury. The interior, with its four swivel chairs and ample floor space, looks vaguely like a conference room. Surrounding the inhabitants are six interior display screens turn the car into “a digital arena,” the company boasts. The idea is to allow the car’s passengers to socialize, relax, or get work done while the car handles itself. Furthermore, the user of a Mercedes-Benz will always remain the decision-maker, with the option to take control whenever they want.
If you are wondering if this is realistic and this is what a Mercedes S-Class will look like in 2030? Probably not. It’s just a little too futuristic-looking . This real-not-yet-there-car is facing some major obstacles before Mercedes put a fully autonomous vehicle on the road, including questions of safety, privacy, and legal liability.
