Mercedes-Benz is a pioneer in the area of autonomous driving. Their research vehicles are already able to drive themselves and Mercedes-Benz has been working in Silicon Valley continuing to develop their technology. Nevertheless, there are still social and legal issues that need to be clarified. The Mercedes-Benz semi-truck design is somewhat unusual, as it is loaded with LED lights instead of headlights and cameras instead of side mirrors. But these modest adjustments of the usual design hide the fact that this is a serious application for a revolution in the trucking industry. This is because the “Future Truck 2025” drives itself.
When it comes to cargo, autonomous driving brings additional benefits. Increasing efficiency, a more consistent flow of traffic reduces fuel consumption and emissions. It also contributes to improved coordination of all processes: you are connected to telematics solutions for fleets, routes and trips, diagnostics and maintenance can be planned better.
And what difference does it make for drivers? On the one hand, the pressure of time decreases. In the end, if all partners were informed of the progress of the trip in real time, there is no reason to explain a delay. On the other hand, drivers can put control in monotonous sections of the road. Anyone imagining a driver sleeping on a moving truck at this point is very much in the wrong direction, though. The driver is a key part of the system. In some road situations for example, on highways and country roads or in urban traffic and with communication and delivery semi-trailers, the driver must maintain control of the truck.
Road driving is easy for computers, but it is dangerous for humans, especially when it comes to large machines. In 2012, according to the NHTSA, 333,000 large trucks were the result of accidents in the US. These incidents killed about 4,000 people, most of whom were traveling in passenger cars. Regulators have problems in order for drivers to rest properly, and the trucking industry has been frustrated by regulation.
For autonomous technology, highway driving is much easier than navigating cities. No cyclists or pedestrians, the speed is constant and the return is minimal. The “Highway Pilot” system combines several installed technologies that will support the lane position and distance using cameras and radars. The sensors are installed to provide full coverage of the truck environment and the support system connected.
Vehicle communication technology is an additional advantage connecting a truck to other vehicles on the road, providing their location and accurate speeds. The truck does not need this data to operate autonomously, but it is useful for such things as to allocate for special vehicles or detection for stopped vehicles in front.
In the future truck, the driver becomes a “transport manager” which Mercedes-Benz unveiled at the conference of commercial vehicles. The truck is put on the road merging into traffic. At 50 miles per hour, you will be asked to activate the “Highway Pilot” and manage the sem-truck. You can rotate the seat 45 degrees away from the wheel, and do not even need to check Google Maps, as the truck has a navigation system independent of each other to find the best route. If the truck is around construction, or is it time to leave the road, a flashing visual warning to tell the driver to put their hands back on the wheels is displayed. If the driver is occupied, the truck beeps and, if necessary, can achieve a “controlled emergency stop”.
The future truck is less flashy than the Walmart WAVE, the aerodynamic focused concept that resembles the smushed Corvette, but still a bit unusual. Mercedes-Benz uses an aerodynamic trailer, shown in 2012, designed to limit aerodynamic drag and reduce fuel consumption by five percent.
LED bulbs range from white to blue when the is truck driving. Mercedes-Benz removed camera side mirrors to improve aerodynamics. These changes should probably be abandoned as the truck moves from concept to vehicle production and must comply with regulations that strictly regulate things such as mirrors and lights. Again, Mercedes-Benz will require some changes in the rules to get this thing on the road at all so it can balance a couple of exceptions.
Unfortunately, for current Mercedes-Benz truck drivers who want to engage in doing some other things, the Future Truck is just a prototype, and will not be ready for the market for at least ten years. At that time as the technology in order for autonomous driving is basically in place, Mercedes-Benz should answer such questions as how to ensure that the input data vehicles are analyzing is safe, as the responsibility of the work in the event of an accident, and if the rules governing how much rest the semi-truck manager requires.
“Now the task,” says Bernhard, “is building this momentum and continuing our open dialogue with all parties involved, so in ten years the truck of autonomous driving will become an accepted feature on our roads.”
The number of cars on the roads around the world is steadily growing. However, there are fewer new participants to the profession of the truck driving. Obviously, work is stressful, often monotonous and prospects for promotion are limited. There is a need to review this process in the long term.
Firstly, in order to improve the safety of all road users using intelligent technologies. Secondly, in order to eliminate the pressure of drivers and make their work more attractive by assigning other tasks. Last, but not least, the total cost of ownership plays an important role in the transport industry. A high degree of automation further reduces the total cost of ownership.