Posted on 04/19/2016 5:44:06 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
A fleet of self-driving trucks rumbles across Europe
Trucks "platooning" across the Netherlands. Credit: Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment
Platooning in the U.S. still four to five years out
By Lucas Mearian
Computerworld | Apr 7, 2016 2:24 PM PT
A caravan of about a dozen self-driving, semi-trailer trucks for the first time finished a trip across parts of Europe this week.
The autonomous truck challenge was organized by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment and included rigs from six manufacturers, including Volvo, Daimler and Volkswagen subsidiary Scania. The convoy journeyed from manufacturing facilities in Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Sweden to the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
A Scania semi-trailer traveled the longest distance -- more than 2,000 miles and across four national borders. The network of authorities involved in the pilot project included federal governments, roadway authorities and consumer groups from six nations.
A view from a helicopter of the semi-trailer platoon driving across Europe this past week.
(Excerpt) Read more at computerworld.com ...
I wonder how these trucks would fair at the hands of the Muslim invaders swarming trucks and borders?
What they really need is autonomous consumer-bots to transfer government checks to, who will in turn buy stuff from corporations!
No need for people anymore!
Hijackers will have a field day with these, block the road and they all stop for them nicely.
The cost of running a big-rig amounts to 185,000$,mostly because of the cost of fuel and the wheels that need to be replaced.
I am not against automation but this field is almost always going to require someone behind the wheel.Simply because it requires someone to be responsible for the individual truck.
Weren’t railroads already invented?
Well it’s not like your average truck driver today is a combat trained and equipped GI.
Railroads are heavily unionized.
So that’s one reason this idea is competitive.
Tide detergent is as good as an Andrew Jackson in some quarters.
Tide? As far as I can see, that stuff does not fetch enough money. How is that possible?
Teamsters Union has to be looking for a building to jump off!
http://nymag.com/news/features/tide-detergent-drugs-2013-1/
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/01/14/why-would-drug-dealers-use-tide-as-a-currency
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-tide-black-market-2013-1
Junk science Nonsense. A self driving vehicle averages 83 accidents. Tell your truck company you have only 10 accidents on your driving record, a mere fraction. The boss will laugh at you.
Human drivers have a real history record. Robot drivers are lied about, Google et al just hide the accidents. Humans cannot hide.
Just a small autonomous gadget like lane departure is damaging truck frames and steering. The human driver wants to avoid serious potholed roads but lane departure demands damaging the truck’s steering. Hit those potholes! Smash it!
One robot gadget will have 50 defects. Overlook defects and only see a couple positive. The gadgets cause tickets and accidents.
NEVER by a truck with added autonomous robot electronics. Those trucks have hidden damage.
“Simply because it requires someone to be responsible for the individual truck.”
who unloads the truck (or manages its unloading?).
Since no deaths would occur if you jack knife it in the desert, who stops the cargo from being heisted, regularly?
In an accident, the deep pockets is the robotics company.
Lots of apeed bumps on the road to utopia.
One ISIS IED will be able to take out an entire convoy. Are they Target’s trucks?
No but they can run a$$holes down if necessary.
I got sick of being downsized & outsourced so I got my CDL A and have been OTR for a couple of months. Now this? That’s just Phuqing great.
Why does a driverless truck need 3 windshield wipers?
Pretty easy to hijack. They can’t reason when to violate the rules to evade capture. Also easy to just stop traffic dead. Pull in front of one and stop.
We don’t’ need n o stinking people anymore. At least not laborers and truck drivers. We all gonna be on the dole or stock traders or artists.
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