The new Mercedes-Benz Actros outfitted with the MirrorCam technology.

Daimler AG has been replacing mirrors with cameras on an increasing number of trucks with the familiar Mercedes star.

The big mirrors, which are a major aerodynamic drag, are being small streamlined. Camera arms are mounted on the roof frame on trucks sold in Europe. The digital rear-view mirror can cover a larger area than conventional main and wide-angle mirrors and its performance far exceeds the legal requirements.

“After a short familiarization period, drivers experience the advantages of the MirrorCam in many different situations for themselves,” according to Patrick Hirth, a cab development mechanic at Mercedes-Benz Trucks.

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Overtaking, maneuvering, driving in poor visibility and darkness, cornering and bottleneck situations – the MirrorCam makes all this safer and less stressful, noted Hirth, who has already driven more than 200,000 kilometers with the new MirrorCam.

Daimler’s new MirrorCam provides multiple views around large trucks, helping to eliminate blindspots easily for drivers.

The MirrorCam consists of two cameras mounted on the left and right of the roof frame, two upright monitors mounted on the A-pillars in the driver’s cab and control elements in the door module and in the secondary display.

The images transmitted by the cameras are transferred to the two 15.2-inch monitors with a resolution of 720 x 1920 pixels. Like the conventional mirror system, the monitor image is divided into a main and wide-angle field of vision.

As the MirrorCam cameras are attached to the roof frame and the monitors are located inside the cab, giving the driver has better views through the side windows.

The view diagonally ahead, which was previously obstructed by the large exterior mirrors of a conventional mirror system in many situations, is now clear. This is particularly advantageous when approaching junctions and roundabouts and in tight bends.

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The MirrorCam also assists the driver when reversing and the display then changes to a special maneuvering view. In particular, reversing around corners is made easier as areas further away from the vehicle are also displayed in the usual size.

The MirrorCam is positioned on top of the truck cab to maximize its effectiveness.

This view is automatically activated when reverse gear is engaged and is still displayed when driving forwards up to a speed of 10 km/h or until it is deactivated with a button.

The distance lines in the display of the MirrorCam are also useful: they help the driver to better gauge the distance to objects behind the vehicle according to the driving situation. In addition, before moving off, the driver can use the door control panel to position one of the lines to symbolize the end of the vehicle in the display.

The MirrorCam, when cornering a truck with a semitrailer, also swivels, so the driver always has a perfect view of the end of the trailer when cornering. A conventional mirror system the mirror on the inside of the corner often only shows the side wall of the trailer due to the articulation angle of the semitrailer/tractor combination, Daimler engineers noted.

The high mounting position of the camera arms not only ensures excellent visibility, it also gets much less dirty in this position than the lower glass mirror. The water-repellent coating of the camera lenses also means less dirt. Furthermore, the view of the screens is free of reflections and dirt on the side windows of the cab.

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The camera system is automatically heated when temperatures fall below 15 degrees Celsius, and the brightness can be adjusted separately for the driver and passenger sides.