The semi-autonomous Freightliner Inspiration Truck from Daimler Trucks North America has received approval from the state of Nevada to operate on its roads:
Highway Pilot utilises stereoscopic cameras located at the front end of the truck which will scan for traffic signs, lane markers, and, of course, other vehicles. This scan results in 3D imagery being fed into the Inspiration Truck's "electronic brain" (computer, surely?) which then adjusts the electric steering rack, the drive-by-wire throttle, and the automated manual transmission to keep the truck between the lines and at a safe distance behind any leading vehicles.
"Ninety-percent of commercial truck accidents are due to driver error and 1 in 8 of those are due to driver fatigue," stated Freightliner's Head of Trucks and Buses, Wolfgang Bernhard, at an unveiling event at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Bernhard added that AV technology can help curb long-haul fatigue by allowing a computer to handle the longer and duller highway stretches.
Freightliner is refreshingly frank about the automated elements of its Highway Pilot system, and admits they are little more than standard cruise control and lane departure prevention systems which have been somewhat tidied and organised for lorry use. It is understood that there is no intention to weaponise the AVs or develop the capacity to autonomously transform between vehicle types.
Based on existent technologies from its sister company Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner's Inspiration Truck does, however, do away with the requirement for AV-specific infrastructure. Abandoned are the cries for special beacons, or special AV driving lanes. The camera-based technology apparently needs only clear traffic signs and crisp white stripes to function effectively, which is more than one might say for many human drivers.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday May 08 2015, @04:03PM
Some of the former drivers will become traveling truck repairmen, until the truck software is good enough to anticipate that the little clink noise means trouble, or the phone-yakking idiot in the next lane needs an extra meter of margin. There's also the fun case where the road work crew makes it nigh impossible to guess which lane is open and which is closed. These trucks will need remote controllers, so they can screech to an emergency halt and call home for a clue.
That's a small fraction of the people they'll put out of a job. The rest can move to Europe/Asia, where organic-growth towns with crazy streets, anywhere parking, and feisty people will hold lorry automation back for 15 years.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday May 08 2015, @06:48PM
You really think America's out-of-work truckers will just move to Europe/Asia?
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(Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday May 08 2015, @06:54PM
I don't expect it would ever happen, but I'd pay to watch if it ever did...