This is not the first time the giant car manufacturer is gearing up to test autonomous trucks on the public roads.
The Freightliner Inspiration Truck – Daimler’s current self-driving project – was granted a license for road use in the State of Nevada, not so long ago, making it the first vehicle of its kind with such privileges.
According to Reuters, the Germans are waiting for approval to exercise their prototype on the streets and will start immediately after the certification is granted, as Wolfgang Bernhard – Daimler executive board member – stated to Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung:
“We are positive that we will get approval for tests on German motorways within the next weeks; then we will start immediately.”
Wolfgang Bernhard continued stating that the first tests will take place in Daimler’s home-state Baden-Wuerttemberg, while the start of series production is just 2-3 years away.
Scary as it may sound, the trucks will be driven by computers, but a human driver will be present at all times to analyze and supervise the situation. The vehicles feature a thing called “Highway Pilot” technology, which includes a front radar, a stereo camera, lasers and a plethora of assistance systems.
When the trucks roll on a highway, the driver can activate the system and from then on the computer takes the job of controlling the vehicle by accelerating, braking, steering and even performing emergency stops.
So, if you’re driving through Germany and see a truck driver reading a newspaper or playing something on Facebook instead of actually driving a 14-ton truck, don’t freak out; it’s (probably) one of those self-driving trucks.
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