MEKRA Lang has received a 2018 Daimler Supplier Award in the innovation category for its digital rearview mirrors technology, Digital VisionSystem, available on the Mercedes-Benz Actros.
Daimler’s new Mercedes-Benz Actros is the first series production truck in the world to drive “mirrorless,” employing the MEKRA Lang Digital VisionSystem to replace the conventional rearview mirror setup, the company says. Designed to improve safety on the road, it increases the driver’s field of vision by securing a real-time continuous image that alerts the driver when a deviation is detected.
“Elegant, efficient and safe, MEKRA Lang pushed technology to the next level,” says Dr. Marcus Schoenenberg, vice president global procurement, Trucks & Buses, Daimler AG.
MEKRA Lang’s technology includes aerodynamically optimized camera wings to increase airflow and reduce fuel consumption. The company says it took a groundbreaking approach to optics and sensor placement, achieving mandatory fields of vision with one lens. The Digital VisionSystem then displays the field of vision in a variety of views, covering the spectrum of driving situations.
In order to effectively deliver a clear image both day and night, even with glare from the sun or headlights, the Digital VisionSystem’s camera generates video images with a contrast ratio of more than 50,000:1. The system monitors itself around the clock, ensuring a reliable performance by initiating regular hardware-integrated system checks that interact with the software, the company says. It also features real-time playback for optimal safety by delivering a latency of less than 200 ms.
Every year, Daimler presents the Daimler Supplier Award to honor 10 suppliers who excel in quality, partnership and innovation in the presence of hundreds of strategic partners and suppliers from more than 30 nations.
