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| The first autonomous truck was this Mercedes-Benz Actros that was demonstrated in July 2014. Note the 2025 time frame that Daimler anticipated before adoption. |
Daimler has grabbed headlines around the world, first with the
self-driving Actros in Germany last year and now with a similar launch of the
Freightliner Cascadia Evolution at the Hoover Dam, outside Las Vegas, Nevada.
But is the autonomous truck an interesting exercise or doomed by public opinion
never to make a big impact on the trucking scene?
The self-driving Google car is another thing altogether. It is
small and targeted at a customer sector that wants plain transportation done
for them.
Recently, Google has reported details about the accidents the
Google prototypes have been involved in. The dozen or so incidents have all
been only of fender-bender seriousness, causing no injuries to passengers or other
motorists.
And it turns out that virtually all were caused by other motorists
misjudging the traffic or running into the back of the Google cars through
inattention. Several were caused when drivers took over from the autonomous
control, suggesting the self-driving car may indeed be safer than the regular
motorist.
So the accidents were not the fault of the self-driving cars and
the collateral damage was slight. The fear is that collateral damage around an accident with a 36-
to 40-ton truck would be far more severe, and potentially life threatening. Further
complicating the matter, the cause and liability would be up for serious legal
wrangling.
When it first showed the Autonomous Truck, Daimler put the year
2025 in the title, indicating it expected many hurdles to acceptance and
adoption.
In a way, the Freightliner demonstration, crossing the Hoover dam
while the world’s biggest projection presentation was being made on the dam’s
downside concrete wall, has a marginally better chance of success despite the
litigiousness of American society.
The trucks already have special permits to run on Nevada’s
highways (see previous blog) because its legislature is one of the most
open-minded of the states in the driverless vehicle debate. Conceivably,
trucking operations within the state may be able to take advantage of
autonomous truck driving, with a few other enlightened states following suit.
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| Volvo's view of the future sees super aerodynamic and platooning trucks. |
Volvo, though, thinks it has a better idea and one more likely to
gain acceptance in the nearer future. While Daimler trucks offer driver
benefits with some fuel optimization, Volvo’s suggestion of platooning trucks
offers similar driver benefits — or even replacement of some drivers — and
potentially greater fuel savings.
Volvo’s idea is to platoon vehicles using electronic drawbars,
with each vehicle closed up tight to another for greater aerodynamic
efficiency. Initially the trucks would run in pairs.
Platooning is not a new concept. Several decades ago as part of
the Intelligent Highway System demonstration, transponders were set into the
concrete in San Diego, California’s, express lanes on I-5 heading north of the
city. I remember riding on a bus where the driver totally relinquished the controls
to the roadway-enabled automation, and riding in cars traveling only a couple
of feet apart at freeway speeds under total control of the roadway
infrastructure.
Fast forward to today, and we have on-board technologies that
have taken over the guidance function from embedded systems in roadways.
Technologies like adaptive cruise control, automated lane-keeping and accident
avoidance can be pressed into service.
In platooning, the technologies work in concert not just to
protect the individual truck, but to create an “electronic drawbar” that
couples one truck to another. The idea is that a lead truck and driver forge
the way, and the following truck just follows. The second driver is then free
to complete other tasks, though going back into the bunk is frowned upon!
The aerodynamic advantages of sucking the following vehicle close
to the leader results in fuel savings for both; the follower gets the bigger
advantage (up to 10%) but there is also a saving for the lead vehicle (up to
5%). And the concept is applicable to all trucks, not just in the same fleet.
The concept includes the ability for any pair of suitably
equipped trucks to communicate automatically. If there is agreement, the
platoon is enabled and the second truck tucks in behind the first.
Jeff Cottner, Volvo’s Chief Designer - Exterior, said the
electronic drawbar concept could be extended to single-truck combinations,
eliminating a mechanical connection such as a fifth wheel. Instead there would
be a full truck or tractor and an electronically tethered intelligent trailer.
Taking the idea a step further, the trailers themselves could be
autonomous and self-propelled. That way a lower-powered tractor could cruise
the highway with a short train of self-propelled trailers, each adding its
power to the train as it joined. The trailers could originate at a terminal
close to the highway and at the appropriate time, make their way individually
to the highway to meet up with the passing platoon.
Similarly, trailers could detach and go to their destination
terminals as the truck platoon reached the appropriate off ramp. Then the
platoon would automatically close up the space.
It’s a very cool concept, but it goes even further than the
autonomous truck as the detached trailer would be entirely driverless. The
intriguing proposal would be a solution to the driver shortage, as well as
provide new logistics and supply-chain solutions for the future. But it will
face the same or more extreme societal objections as the simple autonomous
one-unit truck.
