Mercedes-Benz’s CityPilot platform is based on a version of Daimler’s Highway Pilot autonomous trucking technology. 

Mercedes-Benz’s foray into automatic autonomous vehicles just got very real, with the test of its CityPilot bus technology doing a long range test drive on the highways and streets of Netherlands.

In what is likely to be the coming future, one of Mercedes Benz’s Future Bus vehicle travelled 20km on a Rapid Transit route situated between Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport and the nearby town of Haarlem and successfully navigated pedestrian areas, tight turns and intersections, all without any kind of human input.

Mercedes-Benz’s CityPilot platform is based on a version of Daimler’s Highway Pilot autonomous trucking technology and customized to the needs of a city bus.

Armed with a dozen cameras, GPS, and radar, the bus can recognize traffic signals, pedestrians and other obstacles while maintaining a top speed of 43mph (70km/h).

Although current regulations require that a human operator be placed behind the wheels, who will take over control, in case of an emergency, the decisions made by the vehicles autonomous systems make for a smoother ride for all concerned.

Unlike its peers, the bus was connected to the city’s network which enabled it to communicate directly with the city’s infrastructure, including traffic lights.

The cameras located on the bus, can even scan the road for potholes, thus making the ride less bumpy. Moreover it can even notify city officials where potholes lie so that they can be quickly repaired.

The bus itself is based on Mercedes-Benz’s Citaro bus design with a completely redesigned interiors. Sporting “designer” benches, expansive windows, and grab rails the luxurious interior could probably give the autonomous Rolls-Royce a run for its money.

Although this isn’t the first time a an autonomous bus has shuffled passengers. It is the first to do so on a public transit system, which surely is a significant milestone before cities across the globe adopt driverless autonomous vehicle technology.