The advantage of a hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered car is that it produces no harmful emissions, hence it’s “invisible” to the environment. To promote its new F-CELL hydrogen fuel cell concept car, Mercedes-Benz took the invisible theme to the next level, developing an active camouflage system for public display.
While simple in concept, active camouflage can be difficult in execution. Cameras located on one side of the car map its surroundings in real time, then send this video information via an image processor to LED panels located on the other side of the car. By projecting what’s behind the car onto these panels, the car appears to blend into the environment.
The effect isn’t perfect, and you can still detect the outline of the vehicle. Still, the concept is novel enough to attract attention, and from the short video below it appear that Mercedes-Benz certainly generated awareness during the car’s German tour.
Don’t expect to buy an F-CELL vehicle in a Mercedes-Benz showroom anytime soon, since both the technical details of hydrogen power and the lack of a hydrogen-based infrastructure still need to be addressed.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
