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Some drivers on Interstate 45 in Texas had been not too long ago met with a sight they’d not quickly overlook: A 53-foot semi-truck barreling down the five-lane freeway with nobody on the wheel.
The firm behind this futuristic breakthrough is Aurora Innovation, which final month marked a significant milestone by launching the primary autonomous 18-wheeler to function on a US freeway.
“I may be in the truck, but I’m just a passenger,” Aurora CEO Chris Urmson, who was sitting at the back of the truck on the time, wrote. “I’m passing the time by chatting with our team, drafting this blog, and watching YouTube.”
Aurora’s imaginative and prescient: More vans, no drivers
The firm at present has two driverless vans, which have to date pushed 1,200 miles, making deliveries alongside I-45. According to The New York Times, Aurora goals to scale that quantity to 20 autos.
Aurora’s vans are outfitted with a variety of high-tech options, together with 360-degree sensors that may detect objects as much as 1,000 toes away. The vans are additionally rated Level four autonomy underneath SAE requirements, which means the system can carry out all driving duties underneath outlined situations with out human intervention. By distinction, Tesla’s present system operates at Level 2 and requires human supervision.
The benefits of self-driving vans appear apparent. These autos can exceed the every day working limits imposed on human drivers who want sleep. The vans additionally adhere strictly to visitors legal guidelines, scale back gas waste, and keep away from dangerous conduct like aggressive braking or lane weaving.
“We have something like 2.7 million tests that we run the system through,” Urmson advised The New York Times, referring to the corporate’s rigorous simulation protocols. Still, skepticism persists amongst trade veterans.
Safety considerations about autonomous vans
“My initial thought is: It’s scary,” stated veteran trucker Angela Griffin, who has used vans with AI-assisted options, as reported in The New York Times.
In one case, gentle rain confused her AI sensors. She’s nervous that autonomous vans may not appropriately reply to advanced visitors or sudden hazards. Currently, Aurora’s autos are restricted to daytime operations in clear climate situations.
Further complicating the rollout is the dearth of complete federal oversight for autonomous vans. “It’s potentially disastrous from a safety perspective,” John Samuelsen, head of the Transport Workers Union of America, stated to The New York Times.
Even truck producers stay cautious. Paccar, which builds Peterbilt vans utilized by Aurora, has reportedly requested {that a} human supervisor be reintroduced into the cab throughout operations.
“This technology is really good at things it’s practiced, and really bad at things it has never seen before,” stated Philip Koopman, an engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon, advised the NYT. “From a safety point of view, nobody knows how it’s going to turn out.”
