MERCEDES-BENZ
Aside from luxury and prestige, MercedesBenz is also renowned for safety. Which is why it’s no surprise that its latest concept car (that will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September) is called the Mercedes-Benz Experimental Safety Vehicle.
Like most autonomous vehicles, there is a multitude of cameras outside the ESV to enable it to negotiate around all sorts of traffic — even wayward bikes and stray dogs. While the car is operating in autonomous mode, the wheel and pedals fold away for more space and to minimize the possibility of injury in an accident. On self-driving mode, a display on the front grille communicates the vehicle’s intent to other drivers. It can also project animations and symbols onto the rear windshield to inform motorists behind the car.
The floor is padded, and the airbag is located in the dashboard, so it can still deploy when the wheel is retracted. The side airbags are shaped in such a way that they completely surround the occupants when they deploy. The car even has an airbag between the front passengers to keep them from slamming into each other in a crash.
If the car detects an imminent collision from behind, it can move the car forward, giving the driver behind a little extra space to stop without hitting your car. And if the driver approaches a curve at high speeds, the belts can tighten for a little extra safety. And in this day and age of millennials hooking up to USB ports before buckling up, the ports won’t work until the seatbelts are buckled. And for younger kids, the child seat can monitor the little tyke’s temperature and warn of a fever.