Mercedes-Benz Actros MirrorCam explained

The Actros MirrorCam system represents a leap forward in truck technology, offering drivers enhanced visibility, safety and efficiency on the road.

Unlike traditional mirrors, this advanced camera system provides a clear, panoramic view of a truck’s surroundings, reducing blind spots and improving overall situational awareness.

The streamlined design also contributes to better aerodynamics, saving fuel and enhancing vehicle performance.

Greater side visibility, for starters. The deletion of the traditional door-mounted rear and wide-angle mirrors opens up a greater area to the left and right of the cabin A-pillar. Now drivers have an unobstructed view, which is a great advantage when approaching intersections and manoeuvring through tight turns. Furthermore, they no longer need to stretch to see if traffic is approaching from the left or right. 

One disadvantage of the traditional door-mounted mirrors is during cornering when a driver loses sight of the rear of the trailer, but not so with the new MirrorCam. The unit's ‘brains’ enable camera rotation in the direction of a turn's inner radius, which means the rearmost end of the trailer is always visible to the driver.

The default setting is for single trailers, but a driver can adjust this setting to suit multi-combination configurations. However, on modern trailers, this will happen autonomously when the trailer transmits its geometric data to the prime mover. The driver still can manually rotate the swivel radius via the four-way rocker switch in the door.

Most certainly! The enhanced aerodynamic design and smaller area significantly reduce fuel consumption. Mercedes-Benz's engineers optimised the MirrorCam design and installation using wind tunnel testing, which results in a fuel consumption reduction of 1.5 per cent compared to a vehicle with door-mounted mirrors. 

Drivers will typically find rear vision deteriorates with traditional door-mounted mirrors, especially when the side windows become dirty or misted during inclement weather. However, thanks to a special lens coating, the camera's high mount position on the vehicle, the small roof above the camera lens, and the digital signal of the image to the display screen in the cab, misting and dirt hardly affect the system at all – even in the most inclement weather.

And on cold, damp days at temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius, the cameras automatically heat up. 

The distance indicator lines, which illuminate in the display screen of the MirrorCam system, assist drivers in estimating the distances of objects and oncoming traffic behind the vehicle.

There are three fixed lines displayed together. The line closest to the top of the screen indicates a distance of 100 metres. The middle line indicates 50 metres, and the third line from the top of the screen indicates 30 metres. The lowest line from the top of the screen is adjustable, so the driver can precisely mark the end of the trailer. It is vitally important drivers adjust this indicator each time they connect to a trailer. 

To adjust the end of the trailer setting line:

To activate this calibration mode:

When used in combination with the information shown in the displays by the inbuilt assistance systems, drivers can now assess three typical situations: when is there sufficient distance to merge into a lane or turn; to identify the space at the rear of the vehicle when manoeuvring; and, after overtaking, when they can safely move back into the left lane.

In residual light situations, MirrorCam provides an advantage over traditional door-mounted mirrors. The light transition from the cameras is high. As a result, the displays show an image that is much brighter than in natural light. Consequently, drivers receive better information about their surroundings than with a traditional mirror.

Furthermore, the brightness is adjusted to the predominant light conditions seamlessly -- both out on the open road and in tunnels – so drivers are not dazzled by the screen's brightness. If it is dark, the MirrorCam will only display the immediate areas illuminated by the truck itself – just like a conventional mirror.

Certainly! Varying circumstances, weather conditions and times of day are all excellent reasons for adjusting the brightness of displays. To make this adjustment use the right-hand touchscreen display or the multifunction steering wheel to access the virtual slide controller in the menu’s ‘Display and Brightness –> Display brightness –> MirrorCam’. Furthermore, the system is clever enough to adjust the right and left side displays independently if required. 

For conventional door-mounted mirrors, a simple physics principle applies: ‘The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection’. Consequently, this means that when drivers change their sitting position, the area they can see in the mirror changes.

MirrorCam is fundamentally different. Thanks to the camera-screen location, drivers always see the same image, regardless of sitting position. Additionally, the field of vision can also individually be adjusted using the controls on the door operating unit.

Another advantage of MirrorCam is if drivers alter the field of vision so legal requirements are not being met, a note in the display will appear – which is not the case with traditional mirrors. Drivers merely press and hold the function button momentarily, which returns mirrors to the standard setting. 

Anyone wearing glasses can easily read the MirrorCam displays because there is no need to look as far to the left or right to see traffic, thanks to the display screen positioning on the A-pillars.

Nevertheless, people who wear glasses might experience slight difficulty adapting to the new angle of distances and vision. In this situation, the first question should be: are these glasses still suitable for their eyes? Variations to our vision occur gradually.

Initially, this will often go unnoticed and, over time is accepted. In most cases where people wearing glasses have experienced an issue with the MirrorCam, it is usually attributed to unsuitable prescriptions rather than with the system.

Sunglasses aren't usually a problem either, but how much the optical impression differs depends on the quality of the sunglasses.

The MirrorCam offers two different views when reversing: in the standard-setting, the larger main screen displays the area directly around the truck, and the lower section highlights the broader surroundings.

This view is beneficial, especially when drivers reverse around a bend. However, if drivers reverse in a straight line, it is often better to deactivate this function.

Manoeuvring with MirrorCam offers greater opportunities in comparison to traditional mirrors. For this reason alone, the new system takes a little time to get used to. Also, because the cameras are located slightly further beyond the vehicle's outer edges than traditional mirrors, far more can be seen than with door-mounted mirrors when reversing the vehicle in a straight line.

When drivers take breaks in the cabin, they can activate the camera system for two minutes using switches by the bunk and on the co-driver's side with the engine switched off and the cabin curtains closed.

The immediate area surrounding the vehicle is in view, which includes any suspicious activity involving the truck or its load. MirrorCam starts automatically whenever a door gets opened – so exiting the vehicle is safe.