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Mecedes-Benz Actros used as a taxicab
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Transportation, Videos,
Here in the U.S., we’re familiar with the semi-trucks we share the highways with during our commutes and rely on to deliver our goods...but seeing a semi as a taxicab, that’s something unheard of. Europe’s semi truck manufactures take pride in their products, and one brand in particular is out to prove they’re the best. That brand is Mercedes-Benz. It's have won Truck of the Year for its newly redesigned Actros. However, that wasn’t enough for the Mercedes. So someone got the bright idea of using an Actros as a taxicab. However, the Actros was set to pick up customers from competing manufactures such as Volvo and Man. Watch a video of their reactions after the jump!
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Mercedes-Benz B-Class plug-in hybrid set for U.S. debut soon
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Corporate News, Transportation,
The U.S. segment for luxury automobiles is a cutthroat marketplace. The top two players, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, are in a constant battle for supremacy. Last year BMW led in sales by 2,715 vehicles.
Mercedes-Benz obviously hopes to take the lead. However, the road to success is that of trial-and-error. Mercedes-Benz plans on introducing a B-Class into its current line-up of vehicles for the States. The B-Class would be a plug-in hybrid aimed towards the U.S. buyer, says Joachim Schmidt, head of global sales for Mercedes-Benz.
Along with the B-Class, Mercedes-Benz plans on extending its hybrid line-up along with adding smaller class of vehicles—the A-Class. Though these are solid moves in attempting to overthrow BMW’s lead, only time, along with sales, will tell if Mercedes-Benz succeeds.
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Mercedes-Benz introduces DICE concept for in-vehicle gesture controls
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: CES, CES 2012, Transportation, Videos,
By now you're all familiar with Kinect for Xbox 360. Kinect allows users to interact with the video game using hand and body gestures, as well as through voice commands. Though it’s still a relatively new concept, the same technology is slowly migrating into vehicles.
Mercedes-Benz debuted its gesture controls, known as Dynamic and Intuitive Control Experience or DICE, at CES 2012. DICE functions by using proximity sensors located within the interior of a vehicle, allowing the user to scroll and select a variety of functions. A highlight of DICE is the ability to select locations on the map instead of searching for them by name. DICE also always users to connect with friends, find information on local business around you, read text messages and control all your basic functions from car temperature to rocking beats.
The main issue with the system, as seen in the video, is the location of the driver. Though there are proximity sensors in the car, there is no set location of where the driver needs to be; often this creates issues for the system recognizing your gesture. Furthermore, there is an issue with safety. Driving is not a controlled environment—yet. There are too many ‘eyes on the road’ scenarios using DICE, often distracting drivers from focusing on the task at hand. Though this is only a concept idea, Mercedes-Benz says it’ll be another 20 years before the production version hits the streets, giving Mercedes-Benz plenty of time to work out the kinks.
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