Newsweek chose the color turquoise to include in its design scheme for this year's World's Greatest Auto Disruptor Awards to honor the technology advancement that the color signifies in the automotive world.
Mercedes-Benz is the first automobile manufacturer in the world to receive permits for special exterior Automated Driving Marker Lights, as part of its Drive Pilot automated driving technology.
The turquoise lights, when illuminated, signal to passersby, including emergency responders, that the vehicle is operating using hands-free, eyes-free automated driving technology.
The lights were designed in accordance with the Society of Automotive Engineers J3134 Recommended Practice.
Turquoise was chosen after scientific research by universities in Germany into which colors demonstrate high physiological and psychological factors. Its visibility allows for fast detection by other road users, including cyclists and pedestrians, and the color is deeply differentiated from other colored lights already used on vehicles.
Those with common forms of color blindness can differentiate the color from red, white and amber lights used on automobiles.
Development and approval of the lighting concept was a collaborative effort of professionals in the engineering, compliance management, data protection and ethics fields.
Mercedes-Benz is committed to standardizing on the color turquoise to signal automated driving globally.
Vehicles equipped with Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot in Nevada and California currently display the lights when operating in their automated driving mode.
