Five Mind-Blowing Innovations from Mercedes-Benz


^thats true, i had a 1999 the very first one:)

Still it gave me a few problems..but nothing that was to bad.
 
Some Mercedes-Benz suspension history. The first generation Airmatic suspension bags used 250 thin Polyamid fibers in a very thin, maybe even single layer rubber, to improve ride comfort. The bag probably should have been a bit sturdier to improve dependability? :)


Chassis technology: From independent wheel to active suspension

Multi-link independent rear suspension

At the end of 1982 the Mercedes-Benz model 190 of the compact W 201 series was presented. This was the direct forerunner of the
C-Class. It featured the unprecedented and sensational multi-link independent rear suspension. The optimal travel of the independently suspended rear wheels was achieved by distributing the forces and moments to five three-dimensionally arranged links, each of which was geometrically specialized for its function.

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A dream of a rear axle: The multi-link independent rear suspension of the W 201.

Comfort and roadholding were optimized independently of each other. The rear suspension was complemented by a newly developed front suspension with transverse control arms, damper struts and separately located coil springs. The multi-link independent rear suspension was gradually introduced in all Mercedes-Benz sedans, coupes, convertibles and sports cars with rear-wheel drive.


AIRmatic - higher-quality ride comfort

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"AIRmatic" (Adaptive Intelligent Ride control) system: the air suspension und adaptive damping system (ADS) form a single unit, including automatic self-levelling for each individual wheel.

A new S-Class joined the range in 1998. Instead of a classic springing and damping system using coil springs and gas-pressure shock absorbers, this featured the newly developed, electronically controlled “AIRmatic” (Adaptive Intelligent Ride Control), in which the air suspension and the adaptive damping system (ADS) form an integral unit, including individual, automatic level control on each wheel.

The result of numerous further developments to the multi-link independent rear suspension, now mainly made of aluminum components, was a significant step forward to higher-quality roadholding, ride comfort and handling safety. The front axle was likewise redesigned, with a four-link system of aluminum and steel replacing the previous double wishbone technology. Four components gave rise to the name: transverse spring links made of steel support the spring struts of the front axle. Radius rods at an oblique forward angle optimize front wheel location, assisted by upper wishbones as in the classic front suspension. Track rods link the transverse steering gear of the rack-and-pinion steering with the front wheels.

Multi-link independent rear suspension | Daimler > Company > Tradition > Special Topics

:t-cheers:
 
Air suspension equals booooooo!!
You simply wouldn't believe the number of GLs we see with suspespion crashes. Should be an option. Be way better as an option.
 
Yep, I'm familiar with Arnott. The problem is that I work for an MB dealer. What are the chances we put those on a GL? Zero.
 
Is it possible to convert an airmatic W220 to "conventional" suspension? I mean, say I have a W220 needing new Airmatic pumps and instead of replacing the pumps I decide to convert from air to steel suspension, is that possible?
 
Mercedes Is Testing Google Glass Integration, and It Actually Works

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Mercedes North American R&D head Johann Jungwirth snaps a photo of our reporter testing out the automaker’s Google Glass integration.

I put the car in park, unplug the phone, and put Google Glass on my face. Within seconds, I’ve got step-by-step directions to a coffee shop down the street beamed directly to my eyeballs. This is what Mercedes-Benz has planned for the future, and not only do they have a functioning prototype, they’re working with Google to make it a reality.

It’s called “Door-to-Door Navigation,” and it’s just the latest in a string of high-tech pushes the automaker has made in the past few years. It started with Mercedes doubling its resources and employees at its Silicon Valley research center, which allowed the automaker to work on a thoroughly revised infotainment platform and develop one of the first comprehensive integrations of Apple’s iPhone into its entry level and youth-focused CLA.

Now, it’s Google’s turn.

“We definitely see wearable devices as another trend in the industry that is important to us,” says Johann Jungwirth, Mercedes’ North American R&D President & CEO. “We have been working with Glass for roughly six months and meeting with the Google Glass team regularly.” And it’s helpful that Google HQ is just a 10-minute drive from the automaker’s Palo Alto research facility.

We’ve already established that cars are the killer app for Google Glass. And Mercedes agrees. The German automaker’s R&D center snagged two pairs of Google’s goggles as soon as they became available — recognizing the potential — and started hacking away.

The first application is a navigation program that allows you to enter an address through Google Glass, get in your car, plug in your phone, and then the destination is transferred to the in-dash navigation system. Once you’ve arrived near the restaurant/bar/nightclub/BBQ joint and unplug your phone, the system re-transfers the data back to Glass to complete the journey. And based on hands-on time, it works. But the way it works is … a little rough.

Google doesn’t offer Glass support for the iPhone. Yet. And the Mercedes “Digital DriveStyle App” doesn’t work with Android. Yet. (Jungwirth tells WIRED that iOS is the dominant platform for Mercedes owners). So in order for the destination information to be sent from the car to Glass, Mercedes connects to its own cloud server between the iPhone and the embedded infotainment system. Google Glass handles the communication between the two, and the trigger to communicate is the disconnection of the iPhone from the car. When that happens, it contacts the server, connects to Glass, and downloads the destination information.

Jungwirth is quick to point out that this elaborate dance of connections is just a proof of concept. “This is, perhaps, not how we will accomplish it when we launch it as a product,” Jungwirth told WIRED. “As we are in talks with Google about making a direct connection to Glass work, but it is how our prototype works today.”

Jungwirth makes it clear that Mercedes has every intention of integrating some form of Google Glass functionality into its future products. And by the time Glass goes into production in the next year, Mercedes may have something to offer its customers. In the meantime, Jungwirth says that Android integration for Mercedes vehicles is coming in 2014.

Mercedes Is Testing Google Glass Integration, and It Actually Works

:)
 
Remember the DICE video last year where the whole windshield became the screen? MB is working on Augmented Reality, but at present uses a centrally mounted screen as display. No word yet, when this will see production. Mercedes-Benz invited MB Passion last week to Böblingen: the first look at a possible variant of augmented reality and its navigation system. Using an R-Class. :)

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http:///2013/10/mercedes-benz-entwickelt-an-augmented-reality/
 
Christian Gruenler shows it in this vid (in German). :)

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An update from a supplier. :)

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The evolution of the head-up display (HUD)
The head-up display is another one of the elements of the human-machine interface that is increasingly important because of the ever rising amount of information in the car. Today’s head-up displays reach a virtual display size above the car hood of 6 degrees (wide) by 2 degrees (high).

With this size, head-up displays serve primarily as a display unit for vehicle and traffic related content. "The HUD moves selected data close to the driver's line of sight making it easily available," says Dr. Thorsten Alexander Kern, product manager for HUD in the Instrumentation & Driver HMI business unit of Continental.

The actual content consists of digits, simple graphics and text. However, the HUD requirements for future generations are rising in terms of image size and quality. Therefore Continental has integrated the Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) technology in the next evolutionary step for head-up displays.This technology already exists in modern true color home projectors. Compared to the TFT technology used today, this technology allows for higher magnification and thus a larger image size. "On larger display areas a broader range of graphical symbols can be used. Thus navigation arrows or an intersection’s geometry can be displayed in full color and in sufficient size. They also provide additional areas for the display of comfort functions", says Kern. At the same time, with DMD technology, the HUD lays the foundation for future instruments with augmented reality (AR). Such an AR-HUD will be able to project information directly onto the road and into the field of view and set it in relation to the real environment. "In the AR-HUD, navigation arrows can be displayed exactly at the point on the street where the driver has to act. The driver no longer needs to take away attention from the road" says Dr. Pablo Richter, Continental expert in HUD technology.

http://www.continental-corporation.com/www/pressportal_com_en/themes/press_releases/1_topics/fairs_events/pr_2013_09_10_iaa_hmi_en.html
 
Auto Motor und Sport and Daimler tested Google Glass and are not too impressed.

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^ Google Glass gives very brief, military style, navigation comands.

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Weighs just 49 grams.

I cross the road with the glasses, and they begin to vibrate slighlty, which is not good for my stomach. An argument of Alexander Mankowsky particularly impressed me: "The eyes directly connect to the soul. Should I leave that to clairvoyant glasses?" Doubts are indeed appropriate.

Auto Motor und Sport
 
From an AMS interview with Daimler R&D chief Thomas Weber. :)

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Q: What exactly can German companies learn from IT companies in the US?

A:Thomas Weber: "Let me deliberately exaggerate a bit: In Germany if someone has an idea then immediately many state who know why this makes no sense, is too expensive or doesn't work. In Silicon Valley you discover something new, try it out and look relatively relaxed as it arrives in the market and what applications could still arise. For example, although the Google glasses failed once, they are already working on a next generation that then maybe brings the breakthrough with new features. An almost playful kind of innovation culture. In dealing with innovation we can certainly learn something. " Translated from Auto Motor und Sport
 
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20 Years of Mercedes-Benz in Silicon Valley
Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America -- Pioneer of Digitalization

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Sept. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- In 1995, Mercedes-Benz became the first automotive manufacturer worldwide to open a research and development center in Silicon Valley. The brand with the three-pointed star had already recognized that not only the IT sector, but also the automotive future was being shaped here. Silicon Valley, one of the most creative places on earth, is remarkable not only for its spirit of innovation, it also stands for a unique culture of collaboration. This is how Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America, Inc. (MBRDNA) is constantly pushing forward the networking of driver, vehicle and the outside world, as well as the digitalization of car and mobility. The innovative developments flow into Daimler AG's worldwide R&D network. The research center in Sunnyvale now employs more than 240 people.

"Digitalization is one of the greatest opportunities facing the automotive industry," says Prof. Dr. Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. "Our facility in Silicon Valley plays a significant role in that. Through the special spirit in this center, we are already successfully anticipating today the customer wishes of tomorrow. We are finding intelligent solutions to synchronize the development cycles of the web and consumer electronics with those of the automotive industry. This means we are bringing new technologies to the road even faster and more efficiently."

The MBRDNA headquarters in Sunnyvale is part of the global R&D network and focuses on digitalization within the car sector. Mercedes-Benz has been consistently expanding its presence in Silicon Valley since 1995. The original workforce of 20 employed when the facility in Palo Alto first opened 20 years ago has now grown to more than 240 in Sunnyvale alone. Besides design, the increase in workforce over time also brought new areas of development for the mobility of the future, such as Autonomous Driving, Advanced User Experience Design and Machine Learning. Beyond automotive technologies, the Business Innovation team is developing new business models for mobility inspired by social and cultural trends. The best example of this is the "Boost by Benz" shuttle service, which drives children to sport or other leisure activities after school, thus taking the load off parents.

Interactive and intelligent

Rapid developments in the field of consumer electronics have altered customers' expectations of their cars. Mercedes customers want to maintain their digital lifestyle when on the road, too. The Infotainment and User Interaction experts are thus designing, developing and testing technologies that enable seamless interaction between driver, vehicle and the outside world. This is best illustrated by the latest COMAND multimedia system with door-to-door navigation using the Apple watch. Mercedes-Benz already presented the idea of a fully internet-based infotainment system back in 2008 with myCOMAND. MBRDNA's App Development Group has developed 30 apps in-house in 28 languages for 80 countries, thus helping customers with tasks such as finding a parking spot.

With a view to the future, development experts in Sunnyvale are also working on a particularly demanding technology under the headings Machine Learning and Predictive Engine. The Mercedes of the future will become an intelligent, automotive companion that recognizes the moods, desires and preferences of the driver and passengers and can proactively predict operating steps. This takes more pressure off the driver and delivers even greater comfort and convenience.

Intuitive and unique

Progress in connectivity, urban mobility and autonomous driving are fundamentally changing the relationship between driver and vehicle. Increasingly complex vehicle technologies call for human and intuitive operation. Therefore, Mercedes-Benz designers and developers are working closely together to devise emotional, intuitive and aesthetic User Experience Designs. One example is the current "Concept IAA" show car, featuring an interior that offers a definitive preview of a Mercedes-Benz business sedan of the near future.

A further example is the interface of the F 015 Luxury in Motion self-driving research vehicle. Various displays on the dashboard as well as on the rear and side walls offer passengers a wide array of options for interacting with the vehicle and the outside world.

Autonomous and networked

The F 015 also shows what "Intelligent Drive" by Mercedes-Benz could look like tomorrow. The function of the car is transitioning even more from being purely a means of transport to being a comfortable place of retreat. Meanwhile, various teams in California are working in cooperation with their German co-workers on the foundations for autonomous driving. With the Bertha Benz Drive conducted in Germany in August 2013, Mercedes-Benz demonstrated that autonomous driving is possible in and out of town. Engineers are now using test drives in Californian traffic to extend the horizons of the "S 500 INTELLIGENT DRIVE" research vehicle and adapt it to American traffic regulations.

SOURCE Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America

RELATED LINKS
http://www.mbrdna.com
 
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Mercedes-Benz, with The Foundry, brings Hollywood into the vehicle
High quality real-time rendering in new Mercedes-Benz show car


Mercedes-Benz and The Foundry collaborate to design the next-generation customer interface concept
New User Interface showing real-time rendering in-vehicle offers consumers a beautiful, cinematic in-car experience
Mercedes-Benz Concept IAA show car provides an idea of the new in-car experience

Today, Mercedes-Benz and The Foundry unveiled Mercedes' next-generation customer interface concept, which was shown in the recently launched show car Concept IAA (Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile).

The solution, code named "Project Dash," for the first time connects a true UI/UX designer's tool directly to the in-car experience. What the designer works with in the creative process in the design studio is identical to what the customer ends up experiencing. In addition to this seamless delivery in real-time, the solution frees engineering teams to focus on performance and accessibility.

"At Mercedes-Benz, we strive to achieve the most beautiful and powerful driving experience for our customers," said Sajjad Khan, Vice President Digital Vehicle & Mobility, Daimler AG. "This extends to our in-vehicle display and with our new show car we revealed a quality of real-time rendering that was previously unattainable. As there was no automotive technology in the market to do this, we've teamed up with The Foundry to bring for the first time ever in automotive industry Hollywood quality visuals and imaging into the car."

Project Dash is a collaborative effort between The Foundry and Mercedes' design and engineering teams. The Foundry, which develops creative software for VFX, games and design artists, has a long history of partnering with companies to develop elegant solutions for complex digital visualization challenges. Being present in the Silicon Valley, Mercedes-Benz Research and Development identified this state of the art digital technology and initiated a partnership with with The Foundry. Project Dash leverages The Foundry's proven content creation and visualization knowledge and applies it to address Mercedes' specific design challenge - to achieve high-quality, real-time renderings in their in-vehicle UI/UX.

Also, Project Dash addresses universal design challenges. First, it ensures the realization of design intent by removing technology barriers. Second, it substantially reduces the time and cost associated with design iteration. Third, as the IoT grows, it allows companies to continually enhance and seamlessly deliver the highest quality UI/UX design to consumers. As a result, Project Dash elevates both the way in which UI/UX design happens, as well as the speed with which companies can respond to consumer needs.

"Mercedes-Benz has a heritage of ground-breaking innovations that have dramatically influenced the automotive industry," said Bill Collis, chief executive officer of The Foundry. "Our partnership continues this innovation, creating this new way of enabling UX/UI design. This makes it possible for Mercedes designers to be more creative and responsive to consumer's needs, which in turn, provides the driver with an ever more beautiful, relevant and engaging in-car experience."

Mercedes-Benz unveiled this new UX/UI design collaboration with The Foundry at the 20th Anniversary of Mercedes-Benz Research and Development Center in Sunnyvale, CA.

About The Foundry

The Foundry develops award-winning creative software used globally by leading artists, designers and creative professionals. The portfolio lets users create inspiring and technical high-end visuals in the areas of Media Production (film, commercial, episodic, gaming and VR/AR), and Design (enterprise and creative), as well as participate in emerging high-growth markets such as 3D printing. The Foundry's wholly owned subsidiary, Made With Mischief, develops simple, creative and accessible tools and applications that empower people to explore ideas and create. Clients include Mercedes, Pixar, ILM, Double Negative, The Moving Picture Company, Walt Disney Animation, Weta Digital, Framestore and Sony Pictures Imageworks. In 2015, the London Stock Exchange named The Foundry one of its "1000 Companies to Inspire Britain" and the 2015 Sunday Times HSBC Fast Track included The Foundry on its International Track, marking the sixth time The Foundry made one of the Fast Track lists. In 2013, The Foundry's CEOBill Collis was recognized as the UK Technology winner for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.

© The Foundry, its logo and product names are registered trademarks in the UK, USA and/or other countries.

SOURCE Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America
 

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz Group AG is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Established in 1926, Mercedes-Benz Group produces consumer luxury vehicles and light commercial vehicles badged as Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, and Mercedes-Maybach. Its origin lies in Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft's 1901 Mercedes and Carl Benz's 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen, which is widely regarded as the first internal combustion engine in a self-propelled automobile. The slogan for the brand is "the best or nothing".
Official website: Mercedes-Benz (Global), Mercedes-Benz (USA)

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