THE FUTURE OF AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY: ROBOT CARS

In light of our social standard and up keep of daily lifestyle developments, technological advances are everywhere. So what is on the fore front for your next automotive decision?

The Acura MDX, Infiniti EX35, Mercedes E-350, and the up and coming Mercedes GL are all great example of cars that are created with future infused robotic features.

Acura MDX

This SUV crossover is a surprisingly advanced vehicle. During a week-long test drive, we found the MDX to reveal its robotic tendencies slowly over time. Chief among the advancements is the adaptive cruise, which can be set in intervals so that the MDX adjusts speed for the car in front of you based on three levels of proximity. In a test drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, the adaptive cruise would make occasional fine adjustments to driving speed, and in some cases would apply brakes ever-so-slightly to accommodate for traffic.

Not as advanced as the Mercedes E-350, the MDX does a better job of making more obvious adjustments in heavier traffic. Unlike the Mercedes, which lulls you a bit by revving down the engine, when you approach another car, the MDX taps the brake to make sure you know the car is slowing down. The MDX has a front-mounted grille-cam that scans for the car ahead based on three intervals. This camera works similar to a Doppler radar in that it scans for shiny objects and instructions and measures the distance in front of the car.

Infiniti EX35

The Infiniti EX35 is a sports-sedan that drives exceptionally well. But it is advanced technology that sets it apart. The car has sensors all around it, and cameras in the in the rear-view mirrors and behind the vehicle that scan for obstructions. In some ways, the EX is more advanced than the Mercedes E-350 in that it shows how robotic automation could work: by scanning all around the vehicle. In tests, the EX would beep slightly when we approached to closely to a passing or stationary vehicle. The rear-mounted camera features a higher more accurate-resolution for backing up in a tight parking spot.

The EX also has exceptional lane-assist features – no wonder, since Infiniti was one of the first to invent this idea. In many conditions – including night driving, heavy traffic, partially obscured roads, and on city streets – the EX sensed the side of the road by scanning for white marker lines using front-mounted sensors. Lane-assist uses a camera that scans for stark contrasts in the road and flashes an icon when you depart a lane.

However, the car is smart enough to know the difference between a lane change and an inadvertent nudge – the EX waits a half-second before flashing the icon to sense a real lane departure.

Mercedes E-350

No other car quite compares with the E-350 for robotic features. As we mentioned, the adaptive cruise control worked exceptionally well in a test drive by slowing the car slightly on a highway. This adjustment was so subtle we barely even noticed we had gone for 75 down to 65 in the space of about 30 seconds. As the car in front moved to another lane, the E-350 slowly went back up to the correct speed.

The E-350 also provides a driver attention system that uses 70 different factors from the car to ensure you are able to drive. These factors include driving speed, how long you have been driving and erratic behavior. If the E-350 senses you need a rest from driving, it will alert you to the need for more attention.

This year, Mercedes will release a new GL model that will provide a new lane-keeping system that nudges you back onto the road automatically when you depart a lane. On the E-350, we noticed the lane-assist features were more accurate than other test cars in that it even alerted us on a highway with a beam that covered up the white lines, likely do to how the E-350 scans the side of the road.

Mercedes 2010 GL Class

These hands-on tests prove one thing: robotic automation in cars is advancing quickly. Even in less impressive robotic features, such as rain-sensing wipers, car makers are improving how the technology work from a simple panel that senses an obstruction to a camera that actually measures light diffraction. Lane-keeping on the Mercedes GL, grill-mounted cameras, sensors that send a signal out from the vehicle to look for passing cars… All of these technologies point to a near future when the car you drive can get you from point A to point B without your assistance. Of course, some of the steps involved will take time: in the US, this means upgrading the infrastructure so that cars can communicate not only with traffic signals and adjust to highway speeds but communicate with nearby cars. The vision for autonomous control is on the horizon, though – and closer ahead at the rate we’re currently cruising than you might think.