DriveOhio, the state’s smart vehicle initiative, is taking the next step in its plan to make smarter roadways. In February, a pair of semi-autonomous semi trucks will take to Route 33 in an effort to gather more data. Human drivers will accompany the trucks as a matter of safety.
Ohio has deemed a section of Route 33, between Dublin and Marysville, the Smart Mobility Corridor. It’s on that 35-mile stretch of road that the semi-trucks in question will form a platoon as they complete their testing protocol. They’ve already completed many miles at a 4,500-acre test facility in East Liberty according to BizJournals.
The hope is that someday, the trucks can improve safety for travelers and improve fuel economy while reducing the chance of human error. “Automated driving systems are expected to transform roadway safety in the future, and the data collected with this project will be used to refine the technology to maximize its potential,” DriveOhio Executive Director Preeti Choudhary, said in a release.
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“This critical work will provide valuable information to help advance the safe integration of automated vehicle technologies in Ohio and across the nation,” he continued. Platooning semi trucks is sort of a dream scenario where a lead truck dictates speed while one or more trucks behind it simply keep pace both speeding up and slowing down as needed.
That sort of relationship between vehicles on the road could also end up being applicable to everyday cars, trucks, and SUVs. Today, many vehicles on the road have adaptive cruise control and lane tracing assist. When activated and operated safely, those technologies can emulate the experience of driving in a platoon. In fact, there’s nothing stopping a group of vehicles equipped with that technology from platooning in that fashion right now.
In addition to testing the semi trucks on Route 33, a trio of semi-autonomous passenger vehicles will complete similar testing on divided highways and rural roads in Vinton and Athens counties. DriveOhio also says that a private fleet expects to begin using the trucks for day-to-day operations later this year.