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Mercedes-Benz said today that it has opened Europe’s most advanced light-testing center with robots at the wheel at its Global Proving Ground in Immendingen in Baden-Württemberg. The Immendingen site is a one-hour drive from the Group headquarters in Stuttgart. It has 53 miles of road amid its 1285 acres.
“The Immendingen Test and Technology Center is the first digitized Mercedes-Benz proving ground – here, real and virtual vehicle testing merge seamlessly. By digitally mapping the proving ground, using automated test programs and employing state-of-the-art sensor technology, we are making vehicle development more efficient, faster and more sustainable than ever before,” said Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer, Development & Purchasing.
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At 443 feet (135 m) long and 26.2-feet (8 m) high, the new Light-Testing Center is apparently among the largest of its kind in the automotive industry. It enables detailed testing of headlight systems under constant, reproducible conditions – independent of time of day, weather or environmental influences, according to Mercedes.
“A complete country road is authentically recreated spanning 443 feet (135 m). In addition, the asphalt mixture of the road surface was specially developed to replicate the reflective properties of an aged road as closely as possible. Up to five cars can be tested in parallel – including the simulation of oncoming traffic or vehicles ahead. Reflector posts can be deployed at the sides of the road in 65.6-ft (20 m) increments and pedestrian dummies can also be flexibly integrated. The investment in the light testing center amounts to 10.5 million euros, with two years of construction,” Mercedes said.
Driverless Heide Durability Circuit
The Global Proving Ground Immendingen uses advanced testing methods, including the automated Heide durability circuit. In this test, robots steer test vehicles completely autonomously along a rough-road track. The track’s potholes, bumps and cobblestones vigorously test the chassis and body of vehicles.
“The automation of this process increases the precision of driving maneuvers, reduces strain on human test drivers, enables 24/7 operation and significantly accelerates testing – all while maintaining the same level of stress on the cars. Depending on the type of vehicle, test cars must complete up to 3728 miles (6000 km) on this circuit, which is equivalent to 186,411 miles (300,000 km) of real-world driving. This means that 0.6 mile (1 km) on the Heide durability circuit is equivalent to 93 miles (~150 km) of real-world driving on an extremely rough road, littered with deep potholes, among other imperfections. The grueling test module is named after the challenging rough-road track in the Lüneburg Heath that dates back to the 1950s,” Mercedes said.
Digitization of Testing
“As with all test modules at Immendingen, the Heide durability circuit also has a ‘digital twin.’ The proving ground is digitally mapped down to the sub-millimeter level, and vehicles and loads are digitally mirrored. This data is used in preliminary simulations, serves as load spectra for test benches and thus enables test results to be quickly fed back to the development departments.
“Today, digital testing is so precise that often many thousands of miles are driven digitally before the first physical test miles are driven on the test site. This means, for example, in chassis tuning for each new model series, more than 100 different variations are tested digitally. The most suitable variants are then installed on a prototype vehicle and tested physically in Immendingen.
“One of the greatest advantages of the Global Proving Ground Immendingen is nearly all test requirements for real-world testing – apart from snow, ice and extreme heat – are consolidated at a single location. Approximately 80% of test drives previously carried out on public roads have now been relocated to the site. International testing activities have also been significantly reduced without compromising testing quality – an important measure to shorten development times, accelerate vehicle maturity and reduce the carbon footprint of development.’
“During peak weeks, an additional 2100 Mercedes-Benz employees from other plants are onsite for testing along with the 250 dedicated employees.
“Sheep are largely responsible for maintaining the landscape on the test site. As grazing animals, they prevent shrubs and trees from growing on the rough pasture and displacing the species-rich meadow landscape. Several llamas also reside on the test site and protect the sheep herd from foxes.
“Mercedes-Benz has invested €200 million in the construction of the site on a former military base since the ground-breaking ceremony in 2015. Since its opening, an additional €200 million have been invested in the expansion of the site,” Mercedes said.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Mercedes-Benz Opens Robotic Lighting Test Center
Click for more.
Mercedes-Benz said today that it has opened Europe’s most advanced light-testing center with robots at the wheel at its Global Proving Ground in Immendingen in Baden-Württemberg. The Immendingen site is a one-hour drive from the Group headquarters in Stuttgart. It has 53 miles of road amid its 1285 acres.
“The Immendingen Test and Technology Center is the first digitized Mercedes-Benz proving ground – here, real and virtual vehicle testing merge seamlessly. By digitally mapping the proving ground, using automated test programs and employing state-of-the-art sensor technology, we are making vehicle development more efficient, faster and more sustainable than ever before,” said Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer, Development & Purchasing.
Click for more.
At 443 feet (135 m) long and 26.2-feet (8 m) high, the new Light-Testing Center is apparently among the largest of its kind in the automotive industry. It enables detailed testing of headlight systems under constant, reproducible conditions – independent of time of day, weather or environmental influences, according to Mercedes.
“A complete country road is authentically recreated spanning 443 feet (135 m). In addition, the asphalt mixture of the road surface was specially developed to replicate the reflective properties of an aged road as closely as possible. Up to five cars can be tested in parallel – including the simulation of oncoming traffic or vehicles ahead. Reflector posts can be deployed at the sides of the road in 65.6-ft (20 m) increments and pedestrian dummies can also be flexibly integrated. The investment in the light testing center amounts to 10.5 million euros, with two years of construction,” Mercedes said.
Driverless Heide Durability Circuit
The Global Proving Ground Immendingen uses advanced testing methods, including the automated Heide durability circuit. In this test, robots steer test vehicles completely autonomously along a rough-road track. The track’s potholes, bumps and cobblestones vigorously test the chassis and body of vehicles.
“The automation of this process increases the precision of driving maneuvers, reduces strain on human test drivers, enables 24/7 operation and significantly accelerates testing – all while maintaining the same level of stress on the cars. Depending on the type of vehicle, test cars must complete up to 3728 miles (6000 km) on this circuit, which is equivalent to 186,411 miles (300,000 km) of real-world driving. This means that 0.6 mile (1 km) on the Heide durability circuit is equivalent to 93 miles (~150 km) of real-world driving on an extremely rough road, littered with deep potholes, among other imperfections. The grueling test module is named after the challenging rough-road track in the Lüneburg Heath that dates back to the 1950s,” Mercedes said.
Digitization of Testing
“As with all test modules at Immendingen, the Heide durability circuit also has a ‘digital twin.’ The proving ground is digitally mapped down to the sub-millimeter level, and vehicles and loads are digitally mirrored. This data is used in preliminary simulations, serves as load spectra for test benches and thus enables test results to be quickly fed back to the development departments.
“Today, digital testing is so precise that often many thousands of miles are driven digitally before the first physical test miles are driven on the test site. This means, for example, in chassis tuning for each new model series, more than 100 different variations are tested digitally. The most suitable variants are then installed on a prototype vehicle and tested physically in Immendingen.
“One of the greatest advantages of the Global Proving Ground Immendingen is nearly all test requirements for real-world testing – apart from snow, ice and extreme heat – are consolidated at a single location. Approximately 80% of test drives previously carried out on public roads have now been relocated to the site. International testing activities have also been significantly reduced without compromising testing quality – an important measure to shorten development times, accelerate vehicle maturity and reduce the carbon footprint of development.’
“During peak weeks, an additional 2100 Mercedes-Benz employees from other plants are onsite for testing along with the 250 dedicated employees.
“Sheep are largely responsible for maintaining the landscape on the test site. As grazing animals, they prevent shrubs and trees from growing on the rough pasture and displacing the species-rich meadow landscape. Several llamas also reside on the test site and protect the sheep herd from foxes.
“Mercedes-Benz has invested €200 million in the construction of the site on a former military base since the ground-breaking ceremony in 2015. Since its opening, an additional €200 million have been invested in the expansion of the site,” Mercedes said.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.