It appears that the self-driving semi-truck is just around the corner.
The Portland manufacturing company, Daimler Trucks North America, is currently developing the autonomous trucks. The company’s engineers recently spoke out about their project at TechFestNW.
According to Willamette Week, the project’s chief engineers, Steve Nadig and Al Pearson, maintain that the purpose of self-driving trucks is not to replace truckers. They envision truckers and autonomous truck co-existing as partners.
The engineers envision vehicle and driver working together in various ways with the use of cruise control settings and mapping technologies. The truck will also be able to fully control the vehicle with its computerized braking and steering system.
Drivers will be able to link systems together for close communication. The trucks will include side mirrors with multiple cameras which help to illuminate blind spots.
Nadig explains that these vehicles will decrease workload and stress levels of drivers and increase vehicle safety by offering additional support on the road. This will lead to more alert and aware drivers.
Engineer Nadig emphasizes, “We don’t invent technology for technology’s sake—we invent it for our customers.”
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