You drive past a children’s play-
ground. You’re half expecting a
ball to come rolling out into the
road. There’s a movement in
the corner of your eye but you
dismiss it instantly because the
way it’s moving tells you it’s an
empty McDonald’s bag caught
by the breeze, not a ball being
pursued by a child. A dog is
secured by a lead to its owner,
but the cat it’s growling at could
spring in any direction.
And so on... You scroll
through this sort of scenario
many times on every journey
without thinking about it. And
now Daimler, working with
Bosch, is teaching cars to think
this way. The aim is to develop
more advanced self-driving
and car-sharing technology; to
improve traffic flow in cities; and
to enhance road safety.
Daimler boffin Dr Uwe
Franke spells out some of the
limitations: ‘The system must be
told what is wrong and what isright, otherwise it cannot learn.
This is why we consciously
refer to image interpretation
as “machine learning” rather
than “artificial intelligence”. Our
engineers specify what is to be
learned. It does not occur to the
system itself to have a look at
what lies behind the next hill.’
The key innovations are
around ‘sensor fusion’ – the
knitting together of inputs from
sources including radar, lidar,
stereo cameras and ultrasound
sensors, all working at lightning
speed, plus real-time traffic
information about congestion,
accidents and roadworks.
The sensor-fusion software
is smart enough to analyse a
pedestrian’s gait and infer from
that their intended direction.
Daimler is also working on an
algorithm capable of detecting
if a person is on their phone and
not paying attention. Each type
of sensor has weaknesses, but
cross-checking with inputs from
the other sensors builds up a
more complete picture.
Later this year the project will
step up a gear when a fleet of
autonomous cars hits the road
in California, and an automated
shuttle service will go live in the
San Francisco Bay area.APRIL 2019 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 31range with carbonfibre dominating the body [instead of today’s
aluminium and SMC (Sheet Moulded Compound) panels], and
maybe the engine, chassis and interior.’CvK: ‘For us the innovations are resins able to withstand high-
er temperatures without becoming brittle – this means we’ll be
able to use it in more places. This carbonfibre looks better too:
high-temperature resin was never good in sunlight, so either it
would yellow over time, or be brownish-red from the start. Now
the resins are completely clear, the carbon is ductile and tough,
and it looks more beautiful, too.’CS: ‘The next step forward for McLaren is moving carbon
production in-house to the McLaren Composites Technology
Centre – this will give us more control over processes. The first
technology we’re implementing is high-pressure Resin Transfer
Moulding [resin and catalyst injected into a closed mould
containing a fibre pre-form], which we’ll use for the MonoCell,
rather than pre-preg carbon. The main advantage is larger
scale production without compromising lightness, stiffness or
strength. It will help us move towards 6000 units annually. Pre-
preg carbonfibre is still very much part of our portfolio, but we’ll
use it for more limited production.’CvK: ‘The technology is constantly improving – this is exciting.
The tensile strength keeps increasing, with stronger fibres from
the same thickness – manufacturers are getting the purity of
carbon and its molecular layout more and more under control,
and the purer the molecular structure, the stronger it is.’CS: ‘We’ve pioneered carbon SMC on the McLaren 720S’s
bodywork. It saves 20kg [over aluminium panels], and provides
class-leading occupant visibility [because pillars can be slim-
mer], which was impossible with other materials. SMC also
enabled us to reduce the number of body parts from 50 to five,
simplifying the assembly process and increasing quality. Now
we’re studying applications for recycled materials, one of which
is already nearing full-scale production.’CvK: ‘Even with our production volumes, recycling and sus-
tainability are an important factor. You can make epoxy from
C02-neutral sources, including oil from plants. Natural fibres
are interesting as a sustainable carbonfibre alternative, but
they’re not quite as strong as carbonfibre.’CS: ‘We are actively looking at sustainability. Carbonfibre is cut
from wide rolls, so there’s inefficiency there we’re addressing.
McLarens will never be a huge contributor to landfill!’Is it a bird? Is it
a plane? Is it a
pedestrian?
Future Merc tech doesn’t just look – it sees
‘Manufacturers are finding
ways to make carbonfibre purer
at a molecular level; and the
purer it is, the stronger it is’