On 1 October 1986, when Prometheus was launched, only experts were aware of the project’s magnitude. The project name was a German acronym: Programme for a European traffic of highest efficiency and unprecedented safety.
Specific questions formed the basis of the research project: What must be done for cars to also enable maximum mobility in the future? How can we increase safety and reduce the number of accidents despite an increasing number of vehicles? How can we boost efficiency? How do we harmonise the flow of traffic without building new roads? How do we achieve all these goals while simultaneously preserving the environment?
The research programme was set to analyse these and many more questions. What was then Daimler-Benz AG launched the European cooperative project. For over eight years, it represented a cooperation between several European automotive manufacturers, electronics and supplier companies, universities and institutes.
As part of Prometheus, Mercedes-Benz achieved the highest level of vehicle intelligence with the VITA vehicle. “Vision Information Technology Application” is a genuine autopilot that can brake, accelerate and steer. The computer detects the course of the road and also registers whether the vehicle is on a collision course with other objects. Small video cameras are installed behind the windscreen and rear window of an S-Class saloon to enable steering of the vehicle using automatic image processing. Thanks to these electronic eyes, the on-board computer is always aware of what is going on around the vehicle.
The primary goal is automatic collision prevention: to demonstrate that what is commonly known as “computer vision” can prevent accidents.
However, it does boil down to autonomous driving. It was in October 1994 when the research vehicle covered more than 1000 kilometres on a three-lane motorway in normal traffic at speeds of up to 130km/h while demonstrating lane changes in both directions, as well as autonomous overtaking after approval by the safety driver.
A previous version of the VITA vehicle was initially developed on the basis of a Mercedes-Benz van and its spacious load area was packed with computer technology. The S-Class as an evolution already represented an important step towards miniaturisation and consequently series production maturity.
Communication played a major role in further Prometheus sub-projects. In this context, researchers were working on dual route guidance to relieve drivers. It was the precursor of the navigation system. Back then, it had to make do without assistance from satellites as this technology had not yet been released for civilian use.
Additional innovations, such as lane change assistance or parking aid, are also routed in the Prometheus research programme. Prometheus lives on in current vehicles and future, fully autonomous vehicles. 
Read a Torque petrolhead’s view of a driverless world.
