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USA's First Fully-licensed Autonomous Truck Unveiled

By Ms. Michelle Birdsall posted 05-13-2015 09:56 AM

  

From Traffic Technology Today:

Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) has unveiled the first fully-licensed autonomous commercial truck to operate on an open public highway in the USA. Developed by engineers at DTNA and launched under the company’s Freightliner brand, the new ‘Inspiration Truck’ has the potential to unlock autonomous vehicle advancements that reduce accidents, improve fuel consumption, cut highway congestion, and benefit the environment.

The Inspiration Truck underwent extensive testing before the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) granted it a license to operate on public roads in the state. At the official launch event at the Hoover Dam, Nevada’s governor, Brian Sandoval, formally granted the license to operate the vehicle in the state, affixing a license plate to the truck and taking part in the ceremonial first drive of the truck in autonomous mode.

Some of the core autonomous vehicle systems used in the concept vehicle are already successfully deployed in the current Freightliner Cascadia Evolution model. The Inspiration is equipped with Highway Pilot sensors and computer hardware that is based on the series production Cascadia, and is fully certified to meet all US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

The Highway Pilot links together a sophisticated set of camera technology and radar systems with lane stability, collision avoidance, speed control, braking, steering and other monitoring systems. This combination creates a Level 3 autonomous vehicle operating system that can perform safely under a range of highway driving conditions. To read more, click on the link above.

 

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