Mercedes-Benz's Level 3 Automated Drive Pilot Comes With Questions

The luxury automobile manufacturer, Mercedes-Benz became the first automaker to bring Level 3 automated driving to US roads. Its Drive Pilot feature, which received approval to run on roads in Nevada, is described as one where the car does all the driving but requires the driver to stand by to take over quickly.

The feature makes use of maps, cameras, LiDAR, radar, sensors and microphones (for awareness of emergency vehicles) that help in maintaining lane discipline, safe distance and evasive maneuvers. Moving up from Level 2, where drivers are required to keep their eyes on the road, Level 3 allows them to let their sights wander and indulge in a few other tasks. This is in addition to having their hands off the steering while and feet off the pedals. However, they must remain available to take control if required, as the car isn’t completely autonomous at Level 3, which has Level 4 and Level 5 above it.

Additionally, the feature ensures the vehicle stops if the system malfunctions, which meets Nevada’s “minimal risk condition” requirement for Level 3 and higher autonomous vehicles.

According to Bryant Walker-Smith, a law professor at the University of South Carolina who specializes in autonomous vehicles, Mercedes-Benz's Drive Pilot is a “really big deal”.

"Everything else that's been done and commercially available has always required a human to pay attention. And Mercedes is saying for extended periods you don't have to do that," said Smith. "That upends a century plus of motor vehicle development."

TechDogs-"Mercedes-Benz Drive-Pilot vehicle in Las Vegas, Nevada"

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While this technology comes across as a wonder, there are a few stones on the road.

For one, Drive Pilot has received approval only in Nevada, where the requirements for autonomous levels aren’t too specific. Excerpts from an email from a spokesperson for Nevada’s DMV said, “Nevada law allows all automation levels to operate on public streets. Nevada does not issue any permit or license based on an autonomous vehicle’s level of automation.”

The Drive, an online publication house for all things vehicle, was allowed to test out Drive Pilot on a closed course in Germany. According to them, drivers must always keep their faces visible to the in-car cameras, though they can turn their heads to talk to a passenger or play games on the infotainment screen of the car. However, the system was disengaged when The Drive’s reporter tried to take a picture by bringing a camera up to his face.

Basically, a driver can't take a nap or sit at the back, as observed in certain cases with Tesla’s Autopilot which reportedly lacked adequate monitoring controls for drivers, which led to a call for better monitoring features.

Recently Waymo and Cruise, companies that run driverless taxis in a few US cities, came under scrutiny for abrupt malfunctions in their self-driving system that led to problems on the roads of San Francisco on different occasions. This leads to similar questions about Mercedes-Benz's Drive Pilot.

TechDogs-"Image of Philip Koopman, an expert in autonomous driving at Carnegie Mellon University"

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According to Philip Koopman, an expert in autonomous driving at Carnegie Mellon University, “This opens a new chapter in automation in the US because we have people who are not trained as test drivers being told it's okay to not look at the road.” He also questioned whether Mercedes-Benz would be liable in case of crashes occurring under the system. Regarding this, a spokesperson for Mercedes said the company could be held liable for incidents that occur due to product defects.

Another big concern comes from within the car itself that can’t be predicted or avoided. According to studies, when drivers are disconnected from controlling their vehicles for longer, they may overreact to emergencies. They might end up braking too hard, over steer or basically may not respond well to the snapping back from a distraction. These actions could lead to potentially dangerous situations on the road and be problematic for other drivers.

What do you think of Mercedes-Benz being the first to offer Level 3 automated driving and what according to you are the costs or benefits of autonomous vehicles? Let us know in the comments below!

First published on Tue, Feb 7, 2023

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