Video: Lexus CT 200h Dark Ride interactive promo

Lexus debuts "Dark Ride," a high-definition interactive film that promotes its new luxury compact hybrid, the CT 200h.



Got wheels. Lexus has released a high-def interactive film, Dark Ride, to promo its new CT 200h model. Visitors to the LexusDarkRide website can slot themselves – well, a likeness – into the movie, and into the CT 200h seat right next to actor Norman Reedus, of the Boondock Saints film franchise.  From there they can record their own dialogue, control the camera movement and POV, and make decisions that alter the path of the movie narrative.









Press Release



Lexus Invites Consumers to Co-star in New 'Dark Ride' Interactive Film to Launch New CT 200h Hybrid



Torrance, Calif., May 14, 2010 -- "Get in, buckle up and start talking." Lexus customers will be calling the shots in a high-definition interactive film entitled "Dark Ride." The film features Lexus' newest hybrid, the CT 200h premium compact car, piloted by actor Norman Reedus (Boondock Saints franchise). Reedus is behind the wheel in this 12:30 action film, but he is following the directions of the person riding shotgun...the consumer.



"With ‘Dark Ride' we are creating a unique virtual test drive opportunity so consumers can experience this hybrid, that is like no other, months before it is available at dealerships in early 2011," said Dave Nordstrom, Lexus vice president of marketing. "In it, consumers play a co-starring role as the fun-to-drive Lexus CT 200h is put through its paces. By guiding the driver and the CT through a series of adventures, customers will be exposed to ‘The Darker Side of Green,' which is completely different than the way hybrids are usually portrayed."



The film releases online at www.lexusdarkride.com today along with the trailer for the film, which will appear in select movie theaters across the country. Visitors to the www.lexusdarkride.com site will get to insert themselves into the film, sitting beside "Tony" (Reedus), and navigating while he drives the CT 200h from the Nevada desert to a Los Angeles safehouse and protects it from a variety of enemies who wish to get their hands on the new prototype.



Consumers will use an array of interactive features in the film-allowing them to insert their own likeness (via a Webcam or profile pic), record their own dialogue lines, control the camera movement and POV, and make decisions that alter the path of the film so new situations arise each time.



The "Dark Ride" film is the next step in the launch of the Lexus CT 200h and demonstrates Lexus' marketing theme, "The Darker Side of Green." This theme, which shines a different light on this new breed of a fun-to-drive hybrid, debuted at a star-studded event prior to the CT 200h's North American debut at the New York International Auto Show in April. This initiative will continue through the launch period with in-market custom events and a VIP marketing program that will give tech-savvy influencers access to an edited "Dark Ride" list of restaurants, clubs, bars and lifestyle brands. Brand partners include Duncan Quinn bespoke suits, VeeV Açaí Spirit, The James Hotel and Grand Hospitality for The Soho and Tribeca Grand Hotels.



DIRECT FILM VIEWING LINK: www.lexusdarkride.com

CAMPAIGN LINK: www.darkersideofgreen.com



The all-new CT 200h premium compact hybrid will go on sale in the U.S. in early 2011 as the first dedicated hybrid vehicle in the premium compact segment. Expected to lead its class in fuel economy, the stylish, sporty five-door also delivers a dynamic, fun-to-drive experience. The CT is powered by a 1.8L Atkinson cycle four-cylinder gas engine with Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) and Lexus Hybrid Drive technology. The CT will be equipped with four drive-modes: Normal, Eco, Sport and EV.



With its reputation for high-quality products and exemplary customer service from its 228 dealers, Lexus has been the top-selling luxury automaker in the U.S. for ten years in a row. In addition, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader, now offering four hybrids, with a fifth on the way, that provide the best in innovative technology and first-class luxury. When Lexus was established in 1989, it offered two models of vehicles. Now, more than 20 years later, Lexus offers variations of 11 vehicles, from the entry-level IS 250 to its first V10 supercar, the LFA.



Note: Lexus Dark Ride is viewable with Internet Explorer (Versions 6 and most optimally, 7), Google Chrome, Safari and Mozilla Firefox. Your computer must be equipped with Adobe Flash Player Version 10, found here: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

Mercedes-Benz automated test driver setup

Working on autonomous vehicle systems is all the rage lately, and Mercedes-Benz is no exception. Most of the work has been going within research groups and as part of competitions like the DARPA Urban Challenge. Mercedes-Benz has moved its automated driving work over to driver-assistance test groups. It's using the automation technology to evaluate crash avoidance systems without putting test drivers and engineers at risk.

By using its autopilot systems, the test maneuvers can be reproduced much more consistently. This isn't the first time that such systems have been employed in testing. Chrysler built an Automated Durability Road (ADR) at its Chelsea Proving Ground in the mid-1990s. The ADR used robotic drivers for accelerated durability testing over extremely difficult surfaces.

In both cases, the automakers can do far more extreme testing than would be possible with human drivers. Among the things Mercedes will be testing for is unintentional airbag deployments when driving over curbs, and detection of high-speed merging traffic or sudden braking.

via:autoblog





Press Release

Autopilots at Mercedes-Benz

"Automated driving" - new proving method for state-of-the-art safety systems

With an eye on future generations of assistance systems, Mercedes-Benz is the first vehicle maker worldwide to introduce an innovative proving method into its test driving portfolio - safety-critical driving manoeuvres that cannot be precisely reproduced by people are now being handled by autopilot on closed test tracks. "Automated driving" supports the development, testing and validation of assistance systems and other safety features. Testing at the limit can now be carried out without danger and health risks to development engineers, delivering clear benefits to Mercedes-Benz customers - because the tests are carried out with the highest degree of precision, future assistance systems can be developed and validated to Mercedes-Benz's exacting quality standards despite increasing levels of complexity.

For years, Mercedes-Benz has been setting benchmarks in the development of new technologies for the continuous improvement of active and passive safety in automobiles. Innovations in passive safety such as the rigid-form passenger cell, crumple zone, airbag and three-point safety belt, plus active safety like ABS, ESP® and braking assistant all trace back to Mercedes-Benz. They have made a demonstrable contribution to improving road safety and to reducing significantly the number of injuries and deaths among road users.

The current status of active safety technology is defined by intelligent assistance systems that turn the vehicle into a "thinking partner" - one that can see and feel, and that can react and function reflexively in the event of danger. Systems like the blind spot assistant, ATTENTION ASSIST and the night view assistant are focused specifically on accident problem areas like changing lane, fatigue or poor night time visibility.

"With future assistance systems, we will be able to address even more complex traffic situations and therefore to ease the dangers of further accident hot spots - like intersections," says Prof. Bharat Balasubramanian, Head of Product Innovations & Process Technologies at Corporate Research and Advanced Engineering Daimler AG. "The new automated driving test methods help us to fulfil the ex-tremely high quality and operational safety demands placed on our safety systems even more efficiently."

Autopilots ensure greater precision and relieve development engineers

In addition to established methods, Mercedes-Benz will in future fulfil requirements for reliable functionality and operational safety in future assistance systems through the "automated driving" of test manoeuvres on dedicated proving grounds. Prototypes used for this purpose are series production vehicles equipped with "robots" for steering, acceleration and braking. An on-board computer controls the autopilot so that a pre-programmed course is followed exactly - even if several vehicles are involved in one manoeuvre.

Test engineers in the control centre monitor all events and can stop the vehicles at any time. In parallel, the vehicles perform self checks and brake automatically if they register discrepancies. Thus, the test configuration is safe yet flexible. All Mercedes-Benz models can be equipped with the technical equipment for "automated driving". Moreover, a variety of different safety systems and equipment can be tested.

Using "automated driving", engineers analyse safety innovations under real-life conditions in the vehicle, addressing two critical challenges:

* Reproducibility. In order to calibrate the systems exactly, the same tests must be varied and repeated extensively. In so doing, all parameters like vehicle distances, speeds and steering radii must be exactly to specifications and always precisely maintained in order to guarantee comparability.
* Safety. Because the systems are intended to kick in only in critical situations, such scenarios must be induced during testing. The manoeuvres demand precision timing and cannot be permitted to put anyone in danger.

Both cases place human beings at their limits - in terms of their ability to react and the issue of reproducibility. However, for complex electronic systems and for assistance systems in particular, fully comprehensive functional validation must be carried out in a manner that is as close to reality as possible, thus making this kind of test driving indispensible.

The precise repeatability of the test methodology enables test vehicles to maintain exactly the pre-determined speed and course and to brake very precisely. For example, if a vehicle drives a pre-planned course several times, the tracks of all the runs vary from one another by less than two centimetres. Should the vehicle be brought to a complete halt at a particular location, the end points of all braking manoeuvres are within a radius of three centimetres.

Alongside the proving of assistance systems, "automated driving" will also be used in extreme tests in future. These put the vehicle under loads that are well in excess of those reached under normal use in traffic. The intention is to ascertain, for instance, that airbags are not activated unintentionally should the car be driven heavily over a ramp or against a kerb. Test drives that involve a high degree of physical stress for the driver can thus be avoided.

State-of-the-art test methods for the highest safety demands

In their development work, Mercedes-Benz engineers use the results from the company's in-house accident research, which delivers important findings. A variety of networked validation methods guarantee that the systems function reliably at the critical moment. Company philosophy insists that validation must go considerably farther than prescribed by regulatory standards. When it comes to passive safety, the internal company crash test requirements go well beyond meeting standard crash test requirements. The combination of computer simulations and real-life crash tests ensures passive safety to Mercedes-Benz standards.

Mercedes-Benz also makes use of state-of-the-art, networked test methods when it comes to active safety. Drive simulator tests combined with simulation procedures deliver a faster and more precise development process and complement test drives under real-life conditions.

"In Sindelfingen, we are currently building a new drive simulator. The state-of-the art technology of this equipment will make the future development of new safety systems even faster and more precise," confirms Balasubramanian.

Automated driving as the basis of future innovations

Mercedes-Benz is the only vehicle maker in the world to use "automated driving" as an additional element in the testing process. It will be used on dedicated proving grounds in tests that would be virtually impossible to reproduce manually, like merging at different speeds and distances; high-risk tests where, for example, a vehicle brakes heavily in front of another that swerves at the last minute; and safety-critical tests whereby, at an intersection, one vehicle crosses just in front of or behind the path of a second vehicle.

With "automated driving", Mercedes-Benz has developed a new, unique testing method for safety systems. It is yet further proof of the innovative power of Mercedes-Benz. The new test method guarantees the fast and efficient development of assistance systems to the highest levels of quality and reliability and also offers maximum safety at work for employees.

Bharat Balasubramanian sums up: "In order to be able to set trends in the field of safety in future, too, our test procedures must be able to keep pace with the wealth of ideas generated by our engineers. With automated driving, we feel we are well equipped for the development of the next generation of assistance systems."