- Groundbreaking concepts for drive systems, operation and comfort
- Initial test results from the F 500 Mind, the mobile research lab
- Efficient transfer of know-how from research to development
Stuttgart -- "DaimlerChrysler continues to view research and development that
is geared towards the interests of customers as forming the very essence of its
technological leadership." These were the words of Dr Thomas Weber, the
DaimlerChrysler Board Member in charge of research and technology, whose remit
was extended just a few months ago to include development within the Mercedes
Car Group. The implementation of this new management structure at board level is
designed to ensure that the results of research work are applied on the
series-production development side even more swiftly and effectively in future.
"Around
15 million is invested every day in turning ideas into projects and
products," stated Dr Weber at a DaimlerChrysler Research information event
before presenting the initial test results from the F 500 Mind, a veritable
mobile research lab. We said it was not just the firm that stood to profit from
the wealth of ideas generated by its scientists and engineers, but also Germany
as a whole in its role as an industrial location.
Featuring a hybrid drive unit, an infrared nightview system, a multivision
display and a host of other ultra-sophisticated technologies, the research
vehicle offers a look ahead to the automotive technology of tomorrow. "Each of
these innovations represents the future of motoring in the making. The F 500
Mind is no fantasy show car, it is host to research projects with realistic
prospects of entering series production," said Dr Weber.
Following the unveiling of the F 500 Mind at the Tokyo Motor Show in October
last year, DaimlerChrysler research engineers staged a variety of test runs with
the vehicle with the aim of investigating the day-to-day practicability and
acceptability of the technical innovations. Their attentions were focused on the
research car's hybrid drive system, consisting of a V8 diesel engine paired with
an electric motor which produce a combined output of 234 kW and a total peak
torque of 860 Newton metres. These figures make it the most powerful hybrid
drive to be fitted in a rear-wheel-drive passenger car at the present time.
Hybrid drive returns fuel savings of as much as 20 percent in NEDC
cycle
Practical research revealed both the benefits and drawbacks of the
alternative drive technology. One of the plus points is the electronic load
share apportionment between engine and electric motor: when driving in
slow-moving stop-go traffic, pulling away or parking, the diesel engine is shut
off and the F 500 Mind switches to purely electric drive. This allows fuel
consumption to be cut by some 20 percent in the NEDC cycle. Just the ability to
switch off the diesel engine when stopped at traffic lights and pull away again
using the power from the electric motor represents a fuel saving of around ten
percent. Automatic energy recovery during braking also comes into the equation,
accounting for a further five to seven percent reduction.
However, researchers at DaimlerChrysler detected a discrepancy between theory
and practice, as the fuel consumption figures for the NEDC test cycle and for
testing under practical operating conditions did not tally. "The actual fuel
consumption of the hybrid drive on longer interurban or motorway journeys is
actually higher than with the standard Mercedes diesel model," reported
Professor Herbert Kohler who heads up the vehicle body and drive research unit.
Road trials conducted by DaimlerChrysler have indicated that the hybrid
drive's primary area of use will be for inner-city driving where the benefits
offered by engine shut-off at traffic lights and energy recovery during frequent
braking can be harnessed to the full.
Experts at DaimlerChrysler's research division will shortly be examining the
assets of the hybrid system vis-
-vis a comparable diesel engine more closely
with a view to defining the future application scenario for this drive
alternative. "We are looking to fine tune the hybrid drive and deploy it in such
a way that its benefits outweigh the tremendous technical effort involved. As a
result of the practical tests that have been held so far, we now know that the
diesel engine holds a greater overall potential for reducing fuel consumption
and levels of CO2 emissions," Professor Herbert Kohler summed up.
The Stuttgart-based automotive firm is working towards the drive system of
the future based on a five-stage approach. This approach is founded on
systematic improvement of the conventional petrol and diesel engines, whilst
also incorporating the use of new, environmentally compatible fuels and also
devoting attention to the development of alternative drive concepts, such as
hybrid technology and the fuel cell, which hold genuine potential for series
production. DaimlerChrysler perceives the hybrid drive as a stepping-stone
technology to bridge the gap between the internal combustion engine and the
zero-emission, quiet-running fuel cell.
Highly promising practical research into new forms of driver assist
systems
Another focal topic being researched with the assistance of the F 500 Mind is
the development of innovative new assist systems for making the motorist's task
an easier one. These include a nightview system which works with infrared laser
light. At night or when visibility is poor, this system is capable of picking
out parked cars or any other obstacles far earlier than is possible with
conventional headlamps, heightening standards of safety still further.
"For us, this technology represents a further key contribution to reducing
the risk of accidents when driving at night or in poor visibility, which is
still high," commented Dr Thomas Weber. Using the F 500 Mind mobile research
lab, scientists hope to test people’s willingness to use this system, and to
mould it to the requirements of motorists. Such driver assist systems bring the
experts at DaimlerChrysler ever closer to that ultimate goal, the vision of
"accident-free driving".
Mercedes-Benz has been a leader in the development of driver assist systems
for many years and intends to further reinforce its role of pioneer with
innovations such as those being tested out with the F 500 Mind. The researchers
want to use cutting-edge technology to reduce the motorist's workload
effectively. This will allow drivers to concentrate more clearly on what is
going on around them and keep them fit and alert so that they can safely handle
any critical situations with confidence. This exemplary interaction between
human and machine forms a hallmark characteristic of all Mercedes models, namely
driver-fitness safety. No other car maker devotes as much attention to this
aspect of automotive development as Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes engineers and
DaimlerChrysler researchers have been conducting investigations into the mental
and physical strain of driving for more than two decades now; further
investigations, which will test the effectiveness of new driver assist systems,
are planned with the F 500 Mind.
Groundbreaking concept for simple, intuitive vehicle control
A further aspect of interaction between human and machine is the development
of new control and display concepts for the car of the future. A system is being
researched in the F 500 Mind which combines speedometer, rev counter, navigation
display and various other instruments into a single multivision display. The
driver is able to operate and read each of the three display areas individually
so that only the information actually required is displayed at any time. A push
of a button on the steering wheel is all that is needed to change between the
displays. Any other adjustments can be made using a specially developed
touchpad, which is situated in an ergonomic position in front of the centre
armrest. Tapping the touchpad with the finger directly selects the control
panels on the display, offering drivers simple, fingertip control of functions
such as the navigation system, car radio, car phone or air conditioning. The
advantage of this technology is the direct correspondence between touchpad and
display. The controls on the touchpad are structured in precisely the same way
as the control panels in the display and instantly respond to the movement of
the driver's finger.
"The ever-increasing complexity of today's technology makes an easily
comprehensible, efficient and reliable operating and display concept
indispensable," explained Dr Weber. Drivers should be able to control the
various functions intuitively without being distracted in any way. Initial
practical testing indicates that the touchpad technology featured in the F 500
Mind could well be a viable alternative.
This intelligent operating principle allows the number of switches and
buttons in the instrument panel to be reduced to a minimum, which is another of
the research targets. These controls, which are used on the F 500 Mind for
example for seat, steering wheel and pedal adjustment and for controlling the
air conditioning, likewise feature innovative technology designed to greatly
simplify operation: the controls are equipped with special sensors which
automatically detect an approaching hand, even at a distance of about five
centimetres. In the same instant, the appropriate display listing the various
control functions is automatically called up in the instrument panel.
Successful technology transfer from research vehicle to series production
Mercedes-Benz has always used research vehicles such as the current F 500
Mind to pave the way for new technologies. They help engineers to probe and
master the complexity of the innovations. Since the early 1980s, the
Stuttgart-based car maker has created more than ten of these mobile research
labs.
This string of fascinating vehicles – starting with Auto 2000 dating from
1981 and continuing through to the current F 500 Mind – provides clear evidence
of the diligence and visionary flair with which DaimlerChrysler investigates the
core themes of automotive technology and turns its findings into innovative,
future-compliant solutions for its customers.
Many of the systems which were seen as radical when they first appeared in
research vehicles years ago are now a commonplace feature in series-production
models. Take the DISTRONIC proximity control for instance, which was first seen
in the F 100 back in 1991 and eventually made its series-production debut in the
S-Class in 1998. Equally, the Active Body Control system now featured in the
CL-Class, S-Class and SL-Class, the windowbag, active cornering headlamps,
voice-operated control and carbon-fibre bodyshells are all further examples of
how technology has been successfully transferred from a research environment to
series production.
To ensure it makes the right development decisions, DaimlerChrysler is able
to call on a global knowledge network, with some 24,000 developers and over
2,900 researchers currently employed for the Group worldwide. DaimlerChrysler
runs research centres in the US, China, India and Japan, in addition to its
research facilities in Europe. New styling impetus, meanwhile, is provided by
design centres in California, Tokyo and the Italian city of Como.
Research findings find their way into series production vehicles all that
more quickly courtesy of digital engineering. The development of the new
Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class saw DaimlerChrysler assume the mantle of pioneer once
again, by becoming the first manufacturer ever to digitally develop a new car
entirely from scratch and to design and test out the manufacturing process in a
'digital factory'. The time that such processes save is then invested in
maximising the degree of product maturity. Close intermeshing of all of these
disciplines combined with comprehensive technology monitoring leads to research
activities being driven by results. By liaising closely with the Group's brands,
the features that are decisive to the product's success are defined and then
systematically brought up to series-production standard. The focus here is very
firmly placed on innovations that are of relevance to customers and on
fulfilling the claim of being the first to market within the automotive
industry.
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