Volvo moves ahead on autonomous transport

Volvo Autonomous Solutions is moving ahead with a commercial pilot project in the port area of Gothenburg, Sweden, as it looks to make advancements in autonomous transport solutions within the port and logistics centre segment.

The project involved collecting data with a sensor-equipped truck in the Arendal area in Gothenburg, as a first phase towards creating an automated and connected system for a continuous flow of goods. The truck, operated by a human driver, was driven on confined port areas and public roads and collected data to develop the artificial intelligence to design a safe autonomous solution.

The data collection vehicle would be used to learn about complex everyday traffic situations, using sensors to log the surroundings of the vehicles, as well as the driver’s interaction with the vehicle. The truck was equipped with 21 sensors in the shape of radars, lidars and cameras, making it possible for the system to detect small things far away on the road surface, as well as objects that are close to the vehicle.

“This pilot is a step towards deploying similar projects in other ports in the world, on the journey towards the industrialisation of autonomous solutions,” said Volvo Autonomous Solutions president Nils Jaeger.

“Volvo Autonomous Solutions is in an expansive phase with many ongoing projects where we see exciting developments throughout.”

The project was a collaboration between Volvo Autonomous Solutions and shipping and logistics company DFDS, port operators APM Terminals, the Port of Gothenburg and property company Platzer Fastigheter, with development work done by AI and AV computing platforms partner NVIDIA.