Success! Mercedes' Autonomous Bus Tested in the Netherlands

Mercedes-Benz's autonomous bus, CityPilot, had a long-range test drive on the streets and highways of the Netherlands.

The bus successfully followed a 20km Bus Rapid Transit route between Amsterdam's Schiphol airport and the nearby town of Haarlem, navigating through tight turns, intersections and pedestrian areas all without the need for human input.

The CityPilot has a GPS, radar and a dozen cameras built into the vehicle itself, allowing it to recognize traffic signals, pedestrians, and other obstacles. The bus has a top speed of 70km/h (or about 43 mph) and all that data taken together allows the bus to position itself within inches of bus stops or raised accessibility platforms.

 

It is also connected to the city network, which allows the CityPilot bus to communicate directly with traffic lights and other city infrastructure.