The Future concept Bus has experienced on the track in the Netherlands.
The company Mercedes-Benz presented a prototype bus of the future, equipped with a system of Autonomous control. The concept, tested on a 20-kilometer bus route Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in the Netherlands, called the Future Bus.
The basis of the prototype was based on the platform used in the serial Citaro buses family. Autonomous control system called CityPilot runs with multiple sensors, cameras, GPS module. Mercedes said that she is able to control the bus with the nearest centimeter. She is able to recognize traffic signals and obstacles on your way and can stop in places of landing and disembarkation of passengers. The maximum speed where you can run the autopilot, is 70 kilometers per hour.
In the salon of the Future Bus “Mercedes” has placed futuristic Seating, large information display on the ceiling, the innovative ticket reader and wireless charging for a smartphone, located on the overhead bins. Handrails, as planned by the designers, its shape should resemble trees.
The salon is divided into three zones. The first is located behind the driver named “service”. The second is in the middle of the bus and is intended primarily for passengers travelling over short distances. The third area is in the rear and is a place to stay.
The exact timing of the emergence of unmanned buses on the roads are not called. In the Mercedes I believe that the proliferation of this type of transport depends on the growth in the number of roads the type of BRT. Just in the development of its buses, Mercedes-Benz will invest up to 2020 $ 200 million.
