The race to get an autonomous vehicle began a few years ago and although it seemed that Google would be the first and only for a long time to offer an autonomous vehicle, the truth is that it has not been.
If in several cities we are receiving news of autonomous vehicles that are about to be launched on the market this year, Mercedes already markets its autonomous bus, a bus that runs in the Netherlands quite successfully and in the coming days more vehicles will appear in other countries.
Mercedes' new autonomous bus corresponds to CityPilot program, a program that combines new technologies with the power of Mercedes, giving rise to a fully functional device that circulates on the road recognizing traffic lights, pedestrians, signals, etc ... but still needs a driver in the vehicle to be able to be present in case of an emergency.
Mercedes' new bus needs a driver in an emergency
Currently the Mercedes bus is circulating through Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, functioning as a shuttle vehicle through the enclosure, being a perfect vehicle for these situations, situations where speed is not as important as the transfer of passengers. On the other hand, the shape of the bus is similar to the one currently used in airport buses, a vehicle with many windows and few seats, although with similar dimensions to a normal bus. The Mercedes vehicle boasts of even recognize bumps in the road and adapt your driving accordingly.
In any case it is clear that both the Mercedes bus and any other type of autonomous vehicle has the great disadvantage of legislation and mistrust. This means that vehicles like Mercedes still need a driver. However, let's hope this changes quickly and we can circulate without the need for a driver or having a driving license.