A Look At The New Mercedes CL-Class' Parking Guidance System

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If you're the type that finds the process of parallel parking tedious, several automakers, including both BMW and Lexus, have developed systems to make the task easier, even to the point that some vehicles now park themselves.

Today, Mercedes has released details of their foray into the world of parking assistance - a new parking guidance system, set to make its debut as an option on the new CL-Class. Here's a quick summary of how it works...

First, the parking guidance system automatically uses side mounted radar sensors to monitor whether the space on either the driver or passenger side is adequate to park the vehicle. If it is, the dashboard displays a "P" icon, alerting the driver to the fact a suitable space is available.

Once the driver stops the vehicle and changes to reverse gear, the instrument cluster then displays a bird's eye view of the parking situation along with guide lines showing how best to park. Red lines indicate the current steering angle, while yellow lines show the steering angle needed. As the driver turns the steering wheel and the two lines coincide, they then combine to form green lines, alerting the driver that he is now in the appropriate angle to reverse.

Finally, as the driver is reversing, an audible signal gives notice when it's time to countersteer, perfectly situating them and their new coupe in that ordinarily too-tight-to-fit-in parking space.

Splendid.

As already stated, the new parking guidance system will be available on the new CL-Class as an option, with availability starting at the end of 2006. To learn more, keep reading for the full press release.

Enjoy.


OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE


The technology behind the new Mercedes-Benz CL-Class - Parking assistance: New Mercedes coupé uses radar to help the driver park

Stuttgart, Aug 28, 2006
A newly developed parking guidance system is making its series production debut in the Mercedes-Benz CL-Class this autumn. The system uses radar technology to help the driver find a suitable parking space and park the vehicle.

When driving past at a speed of up to around 40 km/h, side-mounted radar sensors in the front and rear bumpers of the new luxury coupé measure whether the parking spaces on the driver and front passenger sides are sufficiently large for the vehicle. Once the system has found a suitable parking space on the front passenger side, a blue "P" symbol appears in the instrument cluster if the vehicle speed is below 16 km/h. Parking spaces on the driver’s side are shown if the indicator on that side is operated.
Once the driver has stopped the coupé in the position shown on the display and engaged reverse gear, the display shows a symbolic, bird’s-eye-view representation of the parking situation. Coloured guide lines show the driver how best to park: a red line indicates the current steering angle, while a yellow line shows the steering angle required for parking. The driver now turns the steering wheel until the two lines coincide, and can then begin to reverse slowly. As soon as the ideal and actual steering angles coincide, the guide lines on the display change to green. When reversing, an acoustic signal informs the driver when it is time to countersteer.
During the parking manoeuvre, the guidance system continuously monitors the steering angle and vehicle position. If the driver stops before reaching the recommended position, for example, the system automatically recalculates the ideal steering angle for smooth parking.
The new radar-based parking guidance system, which will be optionally available for the CL-Class from the end of 2006, works in tandem with the Parking Assist feature familiar from the S-Class. This system uses radar to measure the distance to obstacles in front of and behind the car, informing the driver by means of the display and an intermittent acoustic warning.
Copyright © 2006, DaimlerChrysler AG

 

[LaArtist]

i posted this in the CL thread.. anyways this is a better post..
very cool system..i would love to try it

 

[Yaz]

Just like the Great bum-man once said; "If people don't know how to parallel park they should not be driving. Simple as that".

But honestly, are drivers that lazy nowadays?? They need a guidance system to park a car??

 

[bum-man]

LOL Yaz, you crack me up.
Actually, you would be surprised by the amount of people that can't parallel park in D.C., granted a lot of them drive larger SUV's...

 

[Yaz]

LOL, tell me about it. I see a lot of people who can't parallel park even though they got enough space to park a commercial truck.... and this is NYC!

I'd save my money on this option and get Distronic Plus instead

 

[Giannis]

sometimes, parallel parking is not easy because you have a big car and the parking spaces you can find are very small.. At least this happens to me.

Parallel parking is easy to me, but having to park the S60 (with parking assist) is a pain in the back, while parking the Clio, which doesn't even have power steering is easy enough!

 

[Yperion]

Look the title from autospies:

Mercedes follows Lexus and shows parking system for the new CL-Class

http://www.autospies.com/news/Merce...hows-parking-system-for-the-new-CL-Class-8040

Those guys make me puke.

Toyota/Lexus has been spending lots of money lately and they have managed to
buy lots of car journalists and editors.

 

[Yperion]

This member of Autospies had the correct answer.

Too many morons out there. Lexus may not make great looking cars or cars that handle well and have great feed-back, but I think their marketing is suberb and beats the German three hands down, and nobody can argue that. For some reason, they are able to put out garbage that a lot of people believe. The post should have read. "Lexus copies Self-park from VW and then claims to have invented it". Stop the crap and click on the two links below..

Article of demo
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1430/is_n12_v14/ai_12516738


Dictionary of automotive terms.. The VW is included in the official definition.. Any questions???

http://www.100megsfree4.com/dictionary/car-dics.htm#SE

 

[bmer]

I think Toyota was the pioneer as the automatic parking system debuted in the Prius 3 years ago (VW Futura was just a concept and it had a 4 wheel steering system): http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/ptech/09/01/toyota.prius.reut/
Toyota's system seems to differ from the MB system as the driver doesn't have to touch the steering wheel. We've also seen videos of BMW testing the automatic parking system. In another video a 7 series parks itself in a garage after the driver has stepped out of the car. That's propably the next step... I hope that there are still a steering wheel and pedals in the next 7er and iDrive hasn't replaced them. If it has replaced them, then you propably "drive" to work by choosing "to work" from the iDrive navigation screen and then lean back and watch TV while the seat massage function activates and the car starts to drive.

 

[Bozzor]

Actually I believe that this parking system is merely an adaptation of a system developed by Bosch.

In reality, a lot of the technologies supposedly 'invented' by car companies are actually invented by companies such as Bosch, Visteon, Aisin et al, who then sell the technologies to car companies. The companies that first use it are said to have invented it, but really, they are first to introduce it. At best, they are often co-developers of the technology.

Either way, Toyota did this system back in Japan a few years ago and only for legal reasons it was not made available outside its home market.

 

[Yperion]

Actually I believe that this parking system is merely an adaptation of a system developed by Bosch.

In reality, a lot of the technologies supposedly 'invented' by car companies are actually invented by companies such as Bosch, Visteon, Aisin et al, who then sell the technologies to car companies. The companies that first use it are said to have invented it, but really, they are first to introduce it. At best, they are often co-developers of the technology.

Very good analysis Boz. For example ESP which Mercedes has been claimed to "invent" was made by Bosch with the cooperation of Mercedes.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Do you know who initiated the development of ESP? Mercedes could have done so, and then turned to Bosch for assistance. I'm pretty sure it was an MB Idea.

It's the same for a lot of technologies fitted to cars, sometimes the development would be initiated by the suppliers, and sometimes by the manufacturers themselves. Whoever is leading the development or whoever has a suitable model launch on which the new technology can be premiered is then usually considered the inventor. But make no mistake, a lot of technology research is actually initiated by MB. It explains why MB was so far ahead of the pack with radar cruise control and BMW and AUDI are yet to come up with an answer to Pre-safe.

P.s Yannis, I love how you’ve mastered the art of discrediting other manufacturers by dropping little remarks in threads in an oh so politically correct and non confrontational manner. Kudos!

 

[Euphoria]

I don't understand those lazy people who don't want to have to do anything, but everything will do itself. But they are so afraid "the Robots are going to attack," they don't want to use them

What's the point of the Lexus self-parking thing anyways. Random feature that's not going to make driving at all safer... "Let's make something that a driver will use once a day, and won't make it any safer" the engineers said.

I can (almost) parallel park with my eyes closed. If you actually learned how to drive properly, then you parking (any kind) should not be that hard...

It's like the Lexus "world's first" rear sensor while driving. I found it funny that if someone is about to crash into your rear bumper, the car will accelerate, but there are no sensors in the front. So if the car behind you gets close, the Lexus will speed up into the car in front...