LG Partners Mercedes-Benz to Develop Camera System for Driverless Cars

LG and Mercedes-Benz, two renowned brands in the gadgets and automobiles market, have collaborated to create a stereo camera system that will be used in future driverless cars.

As a part of the collaboration, the German automobile maker will be licensing parts of its 6D Vision technology to LG. LG too, will work on improving its existing Advanced Driver Assistance Systems or ADAS technologies, and says it is transferring technologies from its home entertainment and mobile communications businesses into its automotive component business - LG Vehicle Components Company.

LG added that its ADAS technologies currently include Forward-looking Single and Stereo Camera Systems for Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR), High Beam Assist (HBA), and Pedestrian and Bicyclist Protection. They also include Driver State Monitoring Systems, which will keep a track of driver's biometric state, attention or drowsiness level, and eye position, apart from Surround View Monitoring Systems, which will help the driver with parking movements.

"Mercedes-Benz is the ideal partner for LG as both companies share a vision of how ADAS technologies can improve the wellbeing and lives of all consumers," said Woo-jong Lee, president and CEO of the LG Vehicle Components Company at the time of announcement. "As the automobile evolves from a mechanical to an electronic system, LG will be in the perfect position to contribute its experience to the exciting automotive industry."

LG's announcement sees the consumer electronics giant follow the tracks of Google, which earlier this week announced that the first completed prototype of its self-driving car is ready to be road tested. Google first revealed its plans for a driverless car in May this year.