The newest Mercedes Benz S-Class has a new Magic Body Control feature that basically stabilizes the road you drive on. Mercedes is cleverly using a chicken’s self-stabilizing head to popularise the feature but explains how it works in more detail in the video above.
You’ll never feel a bump again. Hopefully.
The magic in the, um, Magic is the combination of stereo cameras on the windshield and an adaptive suspension system. The cameras can scan a road’s surface 50 feet ahead in real time while going 80mph to analyse the condition of the surface. It then passes on its measurement data of the road onto the suspension system which adjusts itself right as the car is driving over the uneven road. It supposedly prevents oscillating and reduces vibration. Smooth sailing. Or driving.
The system can recognises ‘obstacles’ at 3mm or better so it gets pretty damn detailed. From the looks of the video (which is put out by Mercedes), there seems to be a legit difference when a car is equipped with the Magic Body Control and when it’s not. Who knows what that’s like in real life (only rich people will know). [MercedesBenz TV via Viral Viral Videos]