The self-driving vehicle concept was clearly a huge hit at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) with Mercedes-Benz's F-015 "Luxury in Motion" taking the lead to demonstrate such form of technology.
With the introductions being made by Daimler AG Chairman Dieter Zetsche, the vehicle's impressive exterior and interior features were revealed. The F-015's windshield, for instance, can also be used as its sunroof whereas its 26-inch wheels can be pressed on to the corners to make the most of cabin space.
Inside the vehicle, a lounge-type interior awaits its occupants with which four rotating lounge chairs can be rotated so a face-to-face experience can be made possible between the front and back passengers.
Six touch-screen displays of high resolution can also be found whereas rear and side panels can be controlled with one's touch and eye movements.
Audi also became a headliner for the self-driving vehicle trend as its vehicle demonstration involved a 550-mile road trip for two days from the San Francisco Bay Area to Las Vegas.
A self-driving technology termed as Piloted Driving was used on an A7 with which front and read radar had been incorporated. Lasers can also help detect whether other cars are getting too close to the vehicle whereas a camera mounted on the windshield can accurately monitor lane lines. Thanks to video monitoring, the A7 can also show its passengers a detailed view of the traffic that surrounds the vehicle.
Meanwhile, German auto manufacturer BMW boasted its enhanced capabilities for parking. Its own Remote Valet Parking Assistant makes use of lasers to check all areas surrounding the i3. Detailed maps of parking structures are also available with which GPS and software are used for finding empty parking spaces and automatically drive to them.
After parking, the i3 is capable of locking itself and making notifications for the driver through smartphone or smartwatch. Using such device, the individual can call on the vehicle to drive to him. According to BMW, the company aims to integrate the Remote Valet Parking Assistant on the newer versions of the i3 EV.
Aside from vehicle manufacturers, automotive suppliers were also keen on presenting their latest innovations in relation to the self-driving vehicle concept. Delphi presented a 2015 Audi SQ45 which comes with 20 sensors, such as a 360-degree radar and collision detection, to name a few. Thanks to NVIDIA'S Tegra K-1 supercomputing system, the vehicle is able to learn through its experience and interaction with a human driver.
