LG, Mercedes-Benz teaming up to create more automated driving capabilities

Chuck Bednar for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online
LG has announced that it will be teaming up with Mercedes-Benz to develop new camera technology that will enable the German automobile manufacturer’s vehicles to have some automated driving capabilities.
According to TechCrunch, the partnership will center around the creation of “next-generation camera systems” based on the Korean technology firm’s existing Advanced Drive Assistance System (ADAS) systems and will allow a portion of the driving experience to be automated.
The ADAS system, the website explained, includes cameras that generate alerts when vehicles change lanes, can read and respond to road signs, monitor the driver’s health and even produce warnings when obstacles come too close to the car. As part of the agreement, Mercedes-Benz has licensed portions of its 6D Vision technology to LG, the company said.
“The joint project will enable LG to harness its extensive experience and comprehensive R&D capacity in camera systems, computer vision algorithms and electronics technologies to elevate existing ADAS technologies to the next level,” the tech firm said in a statement, adding that it would also incorporate technology from its home and mobile businesses into the project.
LG’s ADAS suite of products currently includes forward-looking single and stereo cameras for automatic emergency breaking, lane assist, traffic sign recognition, high beam assist, driver state monitoring systems that track his or her biometric state and look for signs of fatigue, and a parking assist program that displays the environment and detects obstacles.
“Mercedes-Benz is the ideal partner for LG as both companies share a vision of how ADAS technologies can improve the wellbeing and lives of all consumers,” said LG Vehicle Components Company president and CEO Woo-jong Lee. “As the automobile evolves from a mechanical to an electronic system, LG will be in the perfect position to contribute its experience to the exciting automotive industry.”
LG also told The Verge that it would be responsible for developing the “core components” of future driverless vehicles produced by Stuttgart-based Mercedes-Benz, whose current product line includes a full range of hatchbacks, four-door coupes, SUVs, roadsters and other passenger, light commercial and heavy commercial equipment.
Engadget reports that Mercedes will further discuss its plans show off a prototype self-driving car at next year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Its autonomous S-Class cars are expected to his the highways of California in the near future in order to study unique North American driving components such as eight-lane highways and four-way stops. However, the company said that its self-driving cars are still over a decade away from release, the website added.
“Self-driving cars are a major focus of research and development at present, with a mix of established tech and auto heavyweights – like Google and Audi – leading the charge,” the The Verge said. “Now the two industries are coming together in what LG and Mercedes-Benz describe as a marriage of two globally recognized brands and an opportunity to ‘create a masterpiece worthy of the luxury automobile.’”
In addition, TechCrunch reports that Apple has been working on as system that integrates a card’s on-dashboard system with iPhones and iPads for music, maps, phone calls and more. The system, which is known as CarPlay, is being built into newer offerings from Ford and Honda and is also supported by some types of in-car entertainment systems, such as Pioneer’s AppRadio 4.
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