Self-driving cars might be grabbing all the headlines, but it seems like self-driving trucks might hit the road first. At the Hoover Dam outside of Las
Vegas, ШУУД ҮЗЭХ Daimler Trucks
North America (DTNA) showed off its Freightliner Inspiration Truck, which has been officially licensed to operate on public highways in the state of Nevada. The autonomous hauler allows the driver to hand over full control to the onboard computer under proper traffic and environmental conditions.
Self-driving passenger cars have been long in coming. Part of the reason
is that cars are designed to go almost anywhere, from freeways to
crowded city streets. Even human drivers have difficulty dealing with
everything that a normal trip can throw at them and expecting a computer
to do it is about as ambitious as you can get. On the other hand,
specialized freight haulers spend most of their time on highways and
freeways, so building one that can take over most of the tedious
long-haul driving and letting the human do the side streets and backing
up to the loading bay seems like a logical trade off.
That seems to be the thinking behind DTNA's design philosophy at the
Tuesday evening unveiling ceremony. This was the culmination of a series
of events during the day when Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval put a
license plate on the Frieghtliner Inspiration, granting it legal status
to operate in the state, then climbing aboard for the first drive.
Though the Inspiration is billed as self-driving, a human was at the
wheel at all times.
The basic idea behind the Inspiration is for the autonomous system to
control the truck when on highways, while the driver deals with exits,
local roads, and freight yards. According to DTNA, the Inspiration can
take over many of the driving functions, such as staying in a designated
lane, keeping station at a safe distance from another vehicle,
maintaining a legal speed, braking safely to a halt when needed, and
being able to judge when to hand back control to the driver.
This may make the Inspiration sound like a rolling lab, but DTNA says
that its systems are based on some of the core autonomous vehicle
systems already installed in the series production Freightliner Cascadia
Evolution. Its Highway Pilot uses a combination of cameras and radar
for lane stability, collision avoidance, speed control, braking,
steering, and general road keeping.
Behind
the grille is a short-range radar scanning out to 230 ft (70 m) in a
130-degree arc, while a long-range unit scans out to 820 ft (250 m) in
an 18-degree arc. These hook into the Active Cruise Control and Active
Brake Assist. Behind the front windscreen is a stereo camera that can
recognize road markings and operate the steering mechanism.
One advantage of big rigs is that the tractor cabins usually have plenty
of room. Many long-haul versions even have sleeping quarters. This gave
the designers plenty of scope for fitting in controls and video
displays that replace the exterior mirrors. According to DTNA, this
reduces blind spots and cuts down wind drag for a 1.5 percent increase
in fuel efficiency. In addition, the interface can help drivers with
logistics and route planning.
"Freightliner Trucks does more than any other commercial truck
manufacturer to integrate the truck, the driver and the business," says
Richard Howard, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, DTNA. "The
Freightliner Inspiration Truck is a case in point because it is not a
driverless truck — the driver is a key part of a collaborative vehicle
system. With the Freightliner Inspiration Truck, drivers can optimize
their time on the road while also handling other important logistical
tasks, from scheduling to routing. The autonomous vehicle technology not
only contributes to improved safety and efficiency, but allows for
improved communication through connectivity and integration."
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