Mercedes-Benz supplying passenger cars and heavy-duty commercial trucks for V2X pilot in Ann Arbor

22 August 2012

Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America, Inc. (MBRDNA) is supporting the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) Model Deployment (earlier post) with eight Mercedes-Benz C-300 passenger vehicles and three Freightliner heavy-duty commercial trucks with fully integrated 5.9 GHz DSRC systems.

The Safety Pilot Model Deployment, launched yesterday in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is the largest connected vehicle field operational trial in the world, with more than 2800 passenger, commercial, and transit vehicles. The purpose of this trial is to evaluate, in real world scenarios, automotive safety technology based on wireless communications between vehicles. Academia, industry, and government have all come together to assure the success of this effort.

The wireless communications technology used in the V2V Model Deployment is 5.9 GHz Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC). Mercedes-Benz considers innovations based on 5.9 GHz DSRC, in combination with in-vehicle Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, as an important step on the road towards accident-free driving.

The Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles feature LED strip lighting on the dashboard that illuminate to warn the driver of an impending collision risk. The commercial vehicles display warnings through tablet devices installed in the cockpit. Local Ann Arbor residents will drive these vehicles over the course of one year, while researchers collect and analyze data to assess the systems’ effectiveness.

In addition to its participation in USDOT V2V Model Deployment, Mercedes-Benz is heading the simTD research project in Germany. The aim of this recently started simTD field trial is to test the V2V systems’ suitability for everyday use in real-life traffic conditions on the roads of the Rhine-Main region. (Earlier post.)