Daimler Trucks aims for high automation
COMMERCIAL NEWS/ SAE Level four targets will see drivers being able to go to sleep on the move, writes Phuti Mpyane
Daimler Trucks will invest about R8bn in the next few years in a bid to bring highly automated trucks (SAE level 4) to the road within a decade. It made this announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas where it showed off its new Freightliner Cascadia, said to be the first partially automated series production truck on North American roads.
The new Cascadia features SAE 2 level autonomous driving capability where its “hands off” automated system takes full control of acceleration, braking and steering. The driver must be ready to intervene immediately at any time if the automated system fails to respond properly.
The crux of this investment is to skip SAE level 3 (eyes off), which would allow drivers to safely turn their attention away from the driving tasks and the truck will handle situations that call for an immediate response, such as emergency braking. Daimler Trucks wants to move straight to SAE level 4, which is described as a “mind off” scenario in which driver attention is not a full-time requirement.
This level of autonomous driving necessitates driver support in limited spatial areas or special circumstances, such as in gridlocked traffic conditions.
Outside of this scope, level 4 trucks can ably and safely abort the trip, or park themselves if the driver fails to retake control. Also, the driver may safely leave the cabin or go to sleep while the truck carries on with the journey. The company also confirms that all its existing level 2 systems will be raised to level 4.
A move towards this fourth level will reportedly increase efficiency and productivity while significantly cutting costs per kilometre parameters said to be unachievable with SAE 3 levels. Martin Daum, member of the board of management of Daimler AG with responsibility for Daimler Trucks & Buses, said: “Now we take automated trucking to the next level: we’re ready to launch the first partially automated new Freightliner Cascadia in 2019 and next, we tackle highly automated trucks.
“Highly automated trucks will improve safety, boost the performance of logistics and offer a great value proposition to our customers, and contribute considerably to a sustainable future of transportation.”