????隨著奔馳 2014 S Class sedan 轎車的面世，自動駕駛的夢想已近在咫尺。利用自動駕駛功能，日常用車在駕駛者將要入睡或即將作出錯誤操作時，可以接管駕駛任務，從而避免造成災難性的事故。

????上周，戴姆勒公司的工程師們在德國漢堡市揭開了這款新型的S Class 汽車的面紗。毫無疑問，這是一款豪華汽車：模擬指壓按摩的座椅異常舒適；主動香氛系統可按需每隔五分鐘噴送五種不同氣味的香水，至始至終令車廂保持怡人氣氛。“它是一個流動的溫泉浴場，”一位評論者如此評價。

????戴姆勒將邁巴赫打造為奢華品牌的嘗試失敗之后，這個角色再次回歸到了 S Class 陣營。這款新型 S Class 汽車擁有了工程師所能設想到的一切機械、電子與時尚元素。個人交通工具進化史中，最為重要并且與駕駛者最為相關的或許是下面這樣一些功能，比如 3D 攝像頭和雷達裝置。利用這些功能來獲悉環境、道路和其他車輛狀況的不僅僅是 S Class的駕駛者，還有汽車自身。

????假如其他超車過快，S Class 汽車可發出預警，防止碰撞。汽車下方的攝像頭可探測路面缺陷或坑洼，而且還能在遇到突起物時對汽車懸架作出調整。戴姆勒特有的“預防性安全”技術能夠探測行人或者可能發生的碰撞，從而能夠更快、更有力地采取制動措施。

????托馬斯?韋伯教授說：“借助經過改良的環境探測系統，智能輔助系統可對復雜環境作出分析，更準確地識別潛在危險。”韋伯是奔馳汽車開發部門的主管，同時還擔任著戴姆勒理事會董事，負責集團的研究工作。他指出：“形象地說，新型 S-Class 汽車不僅前面長了眼睛，而且 360 度全方位都可盡收眼底。”

????出現交通堵塞時，通過“自動跟隨駕駛(Stop & Go Pilot)”的特色功能，S Class 汽車可自動跟隨前方車輛，并相應地進行剎車或加速。與此同時，在當地法律許可的范圍內，司機可以將注意力轉移到其他事情，比如打電話或發短信。

????大眾（Volkswagen）、通用（General Motors）、豐田（Toyota）以及寶馬（BMW）等汽車制造商都在開發類似的系統。數年之內，汽車有望能夠通過自動駕駛，安全地抵達預設目的地，同時將司機的監管降至最低。汽車制造商指出，一切碰撞事故的根源幾乎都可歸咎于人為的錯誤，而開發這套系統主要目的是將人為錯誤減至最少。另外，車輛之間的通信將進一步增強安全，同時還有利于減緩交通堵塞。

????相對于當前 9.3 萬美元的售價，新款 S Class 汽車起步價為 10 萬美元。價格較高的原因之一在于高昂的設計與研發成本。如果消費者認同新款 S Class 汽車的需求設計，那么隨著大規模生產帶來的成本效益，新型技術將很快普及至日常車型。

????人們在日常生活中經常會面對不完善的高科技產品：電腦死機、軟件故障、通話掉線等等。戴姆勒的新款奔馳 S Class 汽車也會面對類似的質疑。然而，當前越來越多的汽車研發人員正在讓大眾認識到：無人駕駛汽車即將登上舞臺，而且時間要比大多數人想像得要早。（財富中文網）

????The race to build an everyday car equipped with autopilot that can prevent accidents and take over from a driver about to fall asleep or make a catastrophic error is inching closer to reality with the introduction of Mercedes-Benz's 2014 S Class sedan.

????Last week Daimler AG engineers unveiled the new S Class in Hamburg, Germany. Yes, it's luxurious, a "rolling spa," as described by one reviewer, which includes seats that simulate a shiatsu massage and an "active perfuming system" in the glovebox that can project any of five aromas into the cabin at five-minute intervals, according to preference.

????Daimler, having failed to make Maybach its ultimate expression of luxury, has returned the S Class to

????that role. The new S Class contains every mechanical, electronic, and fashion refinement that engineers could imagine. But perhaps most impressive and relevant to the evolution of personal transportation are those features, such as 3-D cameras and radar devices that make S Class -- not necessarily the S Class's driver -- aware of surroundings, road, and other vehicles.

????If a car is overtaking rapidly, the S Class can warn or prevent the driver from turning into its path. Cameras under the car can detect a pothole or pavement imperfection and adjust the suspension to encounter the bump. What Daimler calls "Pre-Safe" technology can detect a pedestrian or a likely collision and activate brakes more quickly and more strongly than the driver.

????"Intelligent assistance systems analyze complex situations and better recognize potential dangers out on the road with the aid of improved environment sensor systems," said Prof. Thomas Weber, member of the Daimler Board of Management responsible for group research and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. "Figuratively speaking, the new S-Class doesn't just have eyes at the front, it has 360-degree all-round vision."

????A feature that Daimler calls "Stop & Go Pilot" lets drivers stuck in lower speed traffic jams set the S Class to follow the car in front of it, braking and accelerating appropriately, while letting the driver concentrate on something else -- phone calls or whatever isn't prohibited by local law, such as texting.

????Volkswagen, General Motors (GM), Toyota (TM), BMW, and others are developing systems that will allow cars within a few years to drive themselves safely to preset destinations with minimal driver supervision. The main reason for such systems, automakers say, is that they minimize human error, the prime factor for almost all collisions. Vehicle-to-vehicle communication will add a further level of safety and help to optimize the flow of traffic.

????The engineering and research that created the new S Class is costly and one factor behind what will probably be a starting price of $100,000, up from the current $93,000. But if the public perceives the features offered in the S Class as desirable, they soon could find their way into more everyday models, as the cost of offering exotic technology falls with mass production.

????Daimler's new Mercedes-Benz S Class will encounter a skeptical public that is all too familiar with the frequent "crashing" of personal computers, glitches with software, dropped cellphone calls, and high-technology's other imperfections. But an increasingly large and confident chorus of voices -- mostly located in automotive R&D laboratories -- now are convinced that "driverless" cars will arrive in showrooms sooner than most people imagine.