Crystal-Ball gazing from Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz has always been ahead of the pack as far as vehicle technology is concerned. This precise German machine has never missed a step when setting trends in the past and does not look like it will any time soon. Vehicle technology has come a long way since automatic transmission systems rose up against the conventional stick shift overcoming conventional resistance all the way. The engineers at Mercedes are continuously pushing boundaries not only to stay eons ahead of the competition but also to solve tomorrow’s challenges today. For decades, Mercedes has been identifying what their customer’s needs are before the market has an idea and the company is famous for selling solutions for things we have not realized are problems yet.

In the same work ethic, Mercedes predicted that mechanical technology in the automotive industry was approaching a plateau. Currently all the leading truck manufacturing companies are making trucks that look the same and generally have all the same state of the art components and functions. Very soon, if the trends stay the same, you may only be able to differentiate one truck from another by its colour.

Mercedes pumped their resources into research and development to find out the next trends and future needs and how to solve them. Like many times in the past, Mercedes-Benz has never disappointed the audience. It quickly became evident that the future progress of the automotive industry is based on electronic advancement and intelligent design. The Director of Design Brands and Operations at Mercedes-Benz, Kai Sieber, said it best when he described the future as being based on a ‘shift in the industry from mechanics to intelligence.

German cars, like Mercedes, have always been on the leading edge of technological advancements and siting in at the Mercedes-Benz ‘Future Lab’ event listening to the company talk up the future of the trucking industry felt a lot looking into a clear crystal ball. Here are some of the innovative features that the future Mercedes-Benz trucks.

1. Mirror-less Cab

The designers have introduced a new streamlined set of rear view cameras mounted on the driver and passenger doors at the sides of the Cab instead of the massive traditional rear-view mirrors. These cameras relay the images scanned to a pair of digital monitors mounted on the A-posts of the cabin on either side of the driver. Initial calculations show that the aerodynamic advantage created by the rear-view cameras could improve the truck’s fuel economy by up to 2.5%.

2. Biologically Effective Lighting

Mercedes, like most German companies, runs in depth research and simulations before making lasting changes to their designs or operational strategies. The company’s research facility in Finland recently discovered that using artificial daylight in the truck cab in the darker winter months made the driver more alert while driving. The biologically effective lighting system allows drivers to change the light settings when they are driving or resting. It was also found that drivers drove more economically with the new lighting system than the conventional.

3. Intelligent Cabs

The intelligent Cab idea is to make a truck that can recognize the driver. Once you set up the truck according to your preferences, the trucks artificial intelligence system notes all the changes including things like seat position and steering height then files them in its programming. The next time you are in the driver’s seat, the truck will recognize you either by voice or facial identification software and restore everything just the way you like it.

This solution has been found to save a lot of time the driver spends setting up the cab to his comfort. It also raises the driver’s morale especially since he can switch trucks at any point without worrying about readjusting the truck to his liking. The design team is even working on developing Mercedes IDs for their customers’ drivers who can login to the system and upload all their preferences and settings maybe even including music and other entertainment options.

4. Smart Controls

Most modern trucks now have a HD touch screen close enough to the steering wheel to enable the driver to operate it without changing his position. The Mercedes-Benz future lab is working on ideas to make the truck’s control centre more interactive such as installing a Head-Up Display (HUD) or a voice controlled system that does not require the driver to take his eyes off the road while driving. The aim of these systems is to relieve the driver from doing tedious tasks that can be done automatically such as when to order new truck spares.

Conclusion

The Mercedes Benz truck design team have looked into their crystal ball and caught a glimpse of a future that they are taking steps to make a reality. It is our hope that other truck manufacturers get with the program and advance the trucking industry to the next plane of existence.