Driverless Truck Companies
The tech industry is being taken over by driverless trucking companies. These companies are making the world of commercial trucks more efficient and safer. Embark Technology, Kodiaq Robotics, and Lockheed Martin are some of the names you’ll find on the list.
Kodiaq Robotics
Kodiaq Robotics’ driverless truck companies are delivering freight for retailers in Texas. The company partnered with global logistics provider Ceva Logistics and US Express, a truckload carrier. The startup completed a two-month autonomous trucking pilot this summer, covering over 800 miles straight.
Kodiaq has 26 trucks. These operate with a team of four safety drivers. They pick up trailers at the distribution centre each morning and deliver them to the store by late afternoon.
As of mid-2021, the truck’s autonomous driving system has made daily deliveries between Dallas and Houston. It is currently operating on 240 miles of Interstate 45. A professional safety truck driver is on board to oversee the autonomous delivery.
Tusimple Holdings
The self-driving truck company TuSimple Holdings Inc completed its first driverless run on public roads. The 80-mile trip began in Tucson and ended in Phoenix.
On the run, the truck’s automated driving system (ADS) navigated highways and surface streets, including on-ramps, emergency lane vehicles and traffic signals. It used two lidar laser sensors and 20 cameras to keep track of its surroundings.
As the company moves toward commercialization, TuSimple is also partnering with Navistar International to manufacture a new line of Class 8 trucks. According to TuSimple’s founder, this milestone was a key step in commercialization.
To build the next generation of autonomous trucks, TuSimple plans to scale back its research and development efforts. For instance, its algorithms team will be trimmed down.
Embark Technology
Embark is a driverless truck company founded by Alex Rodrigues and Brandon Moak. The company builds software for self-driving trucks. It works with truck manufacturers to integrate its technology into its vehicles. Currently, Embark is partnered with some major carriers.
Embark operates a network of transfer points. Motor carriers use these sites to move freight from autonomous long-haul trucks to driver-equipped trucks for first- and last-mile delivery. The company has established nine transfer point locations in the Sunbelt states.
Embark uses proprietary Vision Map Fusion (VMF) technology. This technology navigates the environment utilising a light map and relies on real-time inputs from Embark’s sensor suite.
Audobon
Audobon is a driverless truck company based in the northwest Chicago suburb of Rolling Meadows. The company develops software for use in trucks and sells tools to help improve the way cargo is delivered.
And in November, an Autobon-equipped 18-wheeler drove itself down Interstate 90 in Illinois.
The company says its technology will be available in 50,000 trucks by 2026. But it still needs to set a price. Currently, it is selling its equipment to fleets.
Audobon technology can be installed on a truck in about two hours. It uses a combination of cameras, radar sensors, and artificial intelligence to make a system that instructs the car to drive straight. This system could lead to fewer accidents and up to 30 per cent less fuel usage.
Plus AI
Plus, AI has developed a new approach to self-driving technology for trucks. It uses high-performance computing, sensors, and deep neural networks to build self-driving software. In addition to reducing fuel costs, the system also improves driver comfort and safety.
Plus is targeting the hub-to-hub trucking market, which is experiencing significant driver shortages. With this in mind, Plus plans to achieve driverless L4 autonomy in hub-to-hub transportation in 2024. This will require billions of road miles. However, gaining that amount of experience at a reasonable cost will be challenging.
Plus, plans to launch pilot operations in 2022. In the meantime, it conducts extensive testing in 17 U.S. states and Europe. This way, it can accumulate more than eight billion miles of road experience before commercialization.
Lockheed Martin
When it comes to driverless trucks, one of the largest defence contractors, Lockheed Martin, is at the forefront of research and development. The company has been working on autonomous vehicles for over three decades. In the US, the military is keen to exploit the technology.
While the technology is still in its early stages, the Army is testing several different automated vehicle systems. It also uses a lead vehicle, operated by a human, to give guidance.
An AMAS-driven convoy can operate in a variety of environments. They can drive through traffic, negotiate oncoming vehicles, and even navigate pedestrians. These are capabilities that make it possible to operate more quickly and efficiently in challenging situations.