Mercedes S Class Active Lane Assist Hack

All "Cruise" seems to be talking about is lane keeping plus radar cruise control. BMW, Buick, Cadillac, and Volvo had that years ago. Mercedes is shipping it now. The big problem is keeping drivers from relying too much on a dumb system that almost works[1]. Everyone with a clue in the industry realizes the problem. Semi-automatic driving, with the expectation that the driver is alert and ready to take over, is an accident waiting to happen. Mercedes has a device to check if hands are on the wheel. (See video below for someone defeating that.) Cadillac has a seat vibrator. Most of those semi-auto systems are unable to detect junk such as a mattress on the highway, deer, pedestrians, and work crews. They assume a benign freeway environment. Most won't engage in a non-freeway environment. What bothers me about "Cruise" is that they promote this assist technology as a full self-driving system, like what Google and CMU/Cadillac have in test. See the Cruise ad.[2] The NTSB defines four levels of self-driving: 0 - manual 1 - Function-specific Automation (example: anti-collision radar braking.) 2 - Combined Function Automation (adaptive cruise control plus lane centering.) (current Mercedes, etc. level) 3 - Limited Self-Driving Automation (still needs a driver available to take over.) (current Google level) 4 - Full self-driving automation (driver does nothing, may not even be present) (Google is trying to get there for 25MPH cars.) Cruise is at level 2, but advertises as if at leve

This is similar to what other high-end cars have, lane-keeping and smart cruise control, usable only in freeway-type situations. "Drivers must keep their hands on the steering wheel." Mercedes calls this "Active Lane Keeping Assist", and has offered it for several years now. Here's someone using it with a can taped to the steering wheel to defeat the "hands on steering wheel" requirement.[1] All the major manufacturers have demoed this. This is NTSB level 2 automation, (Combined Function Automation).[2] ("An example ... is adaptive cruise control in combination with lane centering.") Google is at level 3 (Limited Self-Driving Automation), and going for level 4 (Full Self-Driving Automation). The big problem at Level 2 is keeping drivers from using it when they shouldn't. Level 2 doesn't understand intersections at all, for example. Or pedestrians, bicycles, baby carriages, deer, snow, etc. That's why the major manufacturers are being so cautious about launching it into a world of driving idiots. Volvo has now officially taken the position that if an autonomous car of theirs gets into a crash, it's Volvo's fault and they will accept liability.[3] Now that Volvo has said that, other car manufacturers will probably have to commit to that as well. [1] [this video] [2] [link] [3] [link]