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The luxury flagship that thrilled the hearts of car afficionados beginning with early 1950s will be completely renewed in the end of the next year. The W 222 generation of the S-Class will debut at the Mondial de l'Automobile in October 2012 and will mark a major shift in the automotive culture. As always, the premium limousine from Stuttgart will set high standards in every aspect, whether you talk about state-of-the-art technology, quality, safety or performance. If the exterior is still much of a secret, spy photographers managed to capture the first image showcasing the dashboard of the upcoming S-Class. Theoretically, as we think this is only a primary form, used to gather essential data for the ongoing testing programme. The digital instrument cluster and the futuristic display of the forthcoming Human Machine Interface remind of the outrageous F 700 concept uncloaked 4 years ago, at the IAA Frankfurt 2007. This brute shape will however suffer further changes, so the finished product could look very different from the above example, as the interior of the new S-Class will blend together the lines and shapes figured on the F 700 and F 800 concept cars.
Related article:
- New details: Next S-Klasse (W 222) to premiere a revolutionary interior architecture
Photo: www.caranddriver.com
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
Mercedes-Benz presented the first fully integrated telematics system in the automotive industry in 1993, when the Communication and Navigation System (CNS) was premiered in the S-Class. A further ground-breaking innovation followed in 1996 in the guise of the LINGUATRONIC voice control system, which defines the standard to this day. The first 16:9 colour screen was unveiled by Mercedes-Benz in 2002. Internet access on-board Mercedes-Benz vehicles was introduced this year.
At the TecTalk "@ your comand", the company showed how the engineers at Mercedes-Benz envision the near and more distant multimedia future with the aim of maintaining this pioneering role in telematics and infotainment. "Our vision can be summed up by the four key concepts of a 'Holistic experience', 'Natural interaction', 'Sensory perfection' and 'User-friendly remote control'", explains Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bharat Balasubramanian, Vice President Product Innovations & Process Technologies in Group Research & Advanced Engineering at Daimler AG.
The company will be expanding the range of integrated apps for the COMAND Online multimedia system apace, for example, and offering numerous applications for all facets of the digital lifestyle. New apps for the Facebook™ online network, for Google™ Streetview and Google™ Panoramio will be available from the autumn of 2011. Over a dozen additional apps are planned in the medium term. These are currently under development, in some instances in collaboration with innovative start-ups such as the US talk radio operator Stitcher, the Twitter short message service and the popular music providers Pandora in the USA or Aupeo in Germany, for example. The new apps will be usable by all customers who drive a Mercedes-Benz with COMAND Online.
As already indicated in the "Concept A-CLASS" study (Shanghai, 2011), the graphic design of screen content will also acquire increasing importance in future. Dynamically growing glass elements form three-dimensionally arranged navigation levels. The user is guided intuitively around the spatial depth of this menu structure by flowing movements and fluidly animated transitions. In the long term, displays will allow even greater scope for personalisation and apps and control elements will no longer be restricted to specific displays. User-configurable displays are conceivable, for example, allowing drivers to determine for themselves which display elements are to be shown where.
"We are also pursuing research on 3D displays. Three-dimensional on-screen presentations enable information to be absorbed more intuitively," Balasubramanian points out. "This simpler and faster recognition of warnings provides for a further improvement in road traffic safety."
Operation will also be even more intuitive in future, with voice control covering most functions, supported by gestures and touch. In the medium term, it will be possible to dictate text messages and e-mails or to call up messages in this way. This will involve speaking a headline or, in the case of so-called "free" voice browsing, a specific question ("What's the weather like in southern Germany?"). "To us as safety pioneers, it is important that the driver is not distracted in any way. On the contrary, the aim is to enhance driver-fitness safety through improved user-friendliness," explains Balasubramanian.
Further examples of "natural interaction" include menu control via gestures or handwriting recognition (whereby the user traces a finger over the display on the head unit). In future, it may be possible to switch reading and interior lights on and off by means of swiping movements along the overhead control unit, and gesture-controlled invisible cameras could replace switches in vehicles.
Tomorrow's motorists will be able to decide at the breakfast table or in the office which content or apps they wish to have on board, by carrying out corresponding pre-configurations via smartphone or PC. The first such application to have been realised is the option offered by COMAND Online of downloading a route which has been configured on a PC beforehand using Google Maps and transmitted to the car.
Mobile use of Facebook, Google Streetview and Google Panoramio
New Mercedes-Benz apps as of autumn of 2011
Only a few months after the launch of the new multimedia generation, Mercedes-Benz is extending the range of integrated apps: new apps for the Facebook™ online network, for Google™ Streetview and Google™ Panoramio will be available for COMAND Online from this autumn. Streetview enables locations all over the world to be seen in 360-degree perspective views and at street level. Panoramio allows access to millions of photographs which have been taken and uploaded by other users at locations all around the globe. Streetview and Panoramio thus provide comprehensive means of studying routes and checking out sights and destinations before embarking on a journey.
The COMAND Online multimedia system, available in the SLK, C-Class, E-Class, CLS and, from the autumn, in the new M-Class and the new B-Class, now offers internet access for the first time. Customers can either surf the web as they wish while the car is stationary or call up a Mercedes-Benz app whose particularly fast page loading and simple operation make it suitable for use while driving.
All customers will be able to use the new apps. Additional apps which have already been introduced are Google™ Local Search and Weather and the facility for downloading a route which has previously been configured on a PC using Google Maps and transmitted to the car. Mercedes-Benz is successively extending the range of apps. An overview specifying the telephones on which the COMAND Online apps can be used is available at the website www.mercedes-benz.com/connect .
A host of user-friendly functions: the COMAND Online multimedia system
The high-resolution colour display has a diagonal of 17.8 cm. Photos can be shown on the large screen and turned over manually, as in a slide show. Where the audio equipment is concerned, too, new types of representation bring a fresh look and more convenient operation. The new Cover Flow function, for instance, sorts the title images of the music albums stored in a carousel-like form, so that the Mercedes driver can easily leaf through their music collection – even if it is rather on the large side: the memory for compressed audio files (mp3, wma and aac formats) is now 10 GB in size. As an option, COMAND Online is available with a 6-disc DVD changer.
Greatest convenience is afforded by the Music Search function, which enables drivers and passengers to search the hard disc, SD memory cards, USB sticks, CDs and DVDs for specific music tracks and artists. The search can be according to various criteria, for instance album, music category or composer. If a name needs to be entered, the software will also tolerate spelling mistakes. The driver is therefore able to devote their full attention to the traffic. As a further advantage, the occupants are able to search all the connected media and devices simultaneously.
The fast hard-disc navigation system of COMAND Online also has added functions. New features include a 3D display with three-dimensional city views. Also new: routes covered can be recorded and repeated later, specific personal destinations can be imported via an SD card and four alternative routes can be displayed on the navigation map, one of them a particularly economical variation. Mercedes-Benz customers in Europe receive the current cards for their COMAND Online multimedia system free of charge for three years. Authorised Mercedes-Benz dealers upload the updates for navigation data in 39 European countries into the navigation system when the customer visits their premises.
In Europe, COMAND Online also comprises Speed Limit Assist, which receives its information for traffic sign recognition via a camera and navigation database. COMAND Online also includes the LINGUATRONIC voice-operated control system for audio, telephone and navigation. The new "One Shot" input function for the navigation system is particularly convenient, whereby the place and road can be spoken directly after one another. This function is currently available in seven languages and significantly enhances ease of operation.
Source: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
After the latest inside rumors revealed, the big conclusion that rises is there's some hope for the Maybach-Manufaktur as officials have produced another variant to save the dying luxury firm. If at the beginning methods included the discontinuation process beginning with this year and a strategic alliance with Aston Martin, now we found out that Maybach could be converted into a sub-brand of Mercedes-Benz. In this position, the uber-premium brand would be in charge of creating unique and exquisite variants for the upscale models in the portfolio of the Stuttgart-based manufacturer, such as the S-Class (Limousine and future Coupe model), the GL-Class and the SL-Class. However, the outcome is still in doubt at the moment, as a final decision on the subject is to be taken by the end of July, appearantly (not June, as previously claimed). If you want our (unbiased) opinion, we say Maybach will live on after that crucial date. It would be very sad if it didn't...
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
- Bremerhaven bus show and EBSF from 24 to 25 May 2011
- EBSF sub-project concluded
- Mercedes-Benz demonstration bus based on the Citaro G
- Innovative passenger communication to optimise passenger flows
- European driver's cockpit starts test series in Dresden
Stuttgart/Bremen, Germany, May 24, 2011 - Red means wait – green means walk: that is the basis of a simple, trailblazing idea in the bus of the future. An idea which will optimise passenger flows both inside and outside the bus. In simple terms, the system uses illuminated door entries which quickly and clearly tell passengers where they may enter and exit. This is just one of the many ideas generated as part of the EBSF (European Bus System of the Future) transport project that will be shown at the Bremen bus show from 24 to 25 May 2011. The conference, organised by the EBSF project partners along with the UITP (International Association of Public Transport) and the VDV (German Transport Operators' Assocation), will look at the current activities of this EU research and demonstration project, with particular focus on the EBSF sub-project in Bremerhaven. As well as considering the theoretical approaches, the conference will also look at solutions that have already been implemented, such as the demonstrator vehicle on the basis of a Mercedes-Benz Citaro and the vision for a pan-European, ergonomically optimised bus driver cockpit.
European Bus System of the Future
EBSF (European Bus System of the Future) is the largest road-based transport project supported by the European Commission to date. It is conceived as an overarching, widely networked research project for the design and development of an innovative, high-quality European bus system of the future. The aim of EBSF is to demonstrate the potential of a new generation of urban bus networks, with a particular focus on an integrated systems approach (vehicle, infrastructure, technology, operation) with takes the passenger requirements of all age groups into account. The results and technical solutions from these projects are implemented in so-called "Use Cases" (demonstration projects), and tested in day-to-day operations. A total of seven demonstration projects are planned in seven European cities. A demonstration vehicle is now in operation in the bus transport system of Bremerhaven, and another demonstration project – the vision of an ergonomically optimised European bus driver's cockpit – is available for virtual journeys at the IVI-Frauenhofer Institute in Dresden.
European driver's cockpit project
The driver has a place of particular importance in a bus. The aim of the project for an ergonomically optimised European bus driver's cockpit is therefore to take this human factor into consideration by establishing the same ergonomic parameters for the driver's workplace in all European cities, as has been done e.g. in Germany with the VDV 234 guidelines. Apart from the ergonomic aspects, factors such as the driver's personal needs, safety considerations and compliance with European regulations play a part. "The driver's cockpit as we know it know was completely reexamined and redesigned," says Dr. Helmuth Warth, Daimler Buses and EBSF project coordinator. "In the study presented, practically all components can be adjusted to suit individual needs. Whether the instrument panel itself, the steering wheel or the driver's seat suspension system. Only in this way can we ensure that all the different physiological factors – large, small, male or female – will meet with the same driving and working comfort in the cockpit."
As part of the EBSF project, the developments in the newly designed driver's cockpit are currently being tested and evaluated with test drivers from Rome, Dresden and Gothenburg at the IVI-Frauenhofer Institute in Dresden. In these test series, selected drivers absolve virtual journeys on regular service routes through Dresden and Rome in a 3D simulator. These tests in the driving simulator are expected to be completed by the end of June 2011. The project personnel then hope that the detailed results will establish whether and which of the visionary cockpit features can be transferred to a standardised European driver's cockpit.
Passenger information systems
One of the first demonstration vehicles is based on a Mercedes‑Benz Citaro articulated bus. This vehicle incorporates ideas from a sub-project concerned with passenger information systems. Externally, the otherwise straight lines of the Citaro differ greatly from the conventional city bus by the paint finish and additional design features. The illuminated doors are the first features to catch the attention. Specially designed LED lighting elements already show passengers the way on board as the bus approaches the bus-stop. Green means that they can enter here, while red means that this door is not intended for boarding. The developers hope that this controllable door colour coding will enable passenger flows to be guided more specifically and rapidly. The aim is to avoid the "traffic-jams" in the door areas that frequently occur on school runs or at heavily frequented bus-stops in peak periods. The clear pictograms on the side windows are also very noticeable. They enable passengers to see at a glance which technical features they can expect to find on board: WLAN, GPS and 230 V sockets.
While two externally aligned 58 cm LCD monitors at door 1 inform passengers about the route and bus-stops even before they board, four monitors in the interior perform the same fuinction. In addition they show onward connections, deviations, waiting times in real-time and, when in idle mode, cultural, political and business information. The on-screen display is also suitable for older and visually impaired passengers. A seat identification system with lights above the seats is intended to control passenger flows in the aisles. Thanks to these, it is possible from any position to see whether there are still seats available in the rear areas of the bus. A logical colour concept shows the way: green means that the seat is available, red means it is occupied. This reduces the time spent looking for a seat, and the walking around that this involves. Passengers without a seat can also travel in comfort: there are padded leaning surfaces combined with leaning supports opposite doors 2 and 3.
Project cities
The Citaro was delivered to the Bremerhaven transport authority at the end of April, and now it must show that its ideas work in day-to-day regular service. Bremerhaven is the only Germany city taking part in the four-year EBSF project, and in addition demonstration vehicles will go into service in Madrid, Paris, Rouen, Rome, Gothenburg and Budapest. 48 project partners made up of manufacturers, suppliers, operators, official bodies, researchers and consultancies are accompanying the project, which commenced in 2008. Together with these partners, EBSF is in search of trailblazing, combinable vehicle, infrastructure and operational designs with the aim of showing the possibilities for technical harmonisation and standardisation.
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
Mercedes-Benz sees the supercars as a solid, very serious business for growing the awareness of the brand and inevitably attracting more customers in favour of the Stuttgart-based constructor. Being well known for the famous racing cars of the 30s and 50s and for masterpieces such as the 300 SL Gullwing, the 300 SEL 6.8 AMG, the 450 SLC AMG and the modern SLS AMG, the decision team at Mercedes-Benz has understood the challenge that lie up ahead in the future and have reportedly given the agreement for manufacturing an all new sports model entitled SLC, which is destined to go beneath the current SLS. As in the case of the Gullwing, AMG will head most of the development phase. According to latest hints, the future Porsche 911 opponent, as described by a company insider, has already received an internal code designation, a fact which further points to the likelihood of the new SLC. When it's revealed in either 2015 or 2016, this super vehicle will sport a front-engine architecture with rear-wheel-drive and a transaxle gearbox, specially modified to ensure faster shifts. Power will come courtesy of an aspirated V8 unit, capable to deliver at least 420 hp of peak output and 550 Nm of maximum torque, fully available from a low engine turation. In order to keep weights low and improve performance, the SLC will be built on a technically-advanced platform extensively using lightweight materials such as aluminium (mixed with high-durability steel and metallic alloys for an added body strength and rigidity) and carbon fiber (better known as CFRP = carbon fiber reinforced plastic). It is still too early to judge upon the aesthetical side of the new SLC, but we can tell for sure it will have coventional doors instead of the roof-mounted, gullwing examples found on the SLS AMG and it will boast a more aerodynamic, slim, kinda bullet-shaped contour.
Source: Autocar
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
