Kenworth Truck Co. skipped the fanfare in debuting its proof-of-concept Level 4 autonomous truck at CES 2020 because the Paccar Inc. (NASDAQ: PCAR) brand is focused on learning what to expect from automated driving.
“We have a pretty good plan and it’s going to take a lot of validation work once we get it to the point where it can run hands off and we’re confident of it,” Brian Lindgren, Kenworth research and development director, told FreightWaves.
“Doing all of the validation work is going to be a couple of years to prove in different situations that you can’t always foresee when you’re designing it.”
The conventional body T680 with chrome grill and headlamps set low over curved wheel flares appears little changed from its diesel-powered origin. Light-detecting and ranging (LiDAR) units affixed to the traditional exterior mirrors are one noticeable exterior addition.
Private interior
At CES in Las Vegas, Kenworth protected the interior from prying eyes by privacy glass and locked doors.
“There’s a lot of racks for hardware in there,” Lindgren said. Five computers host software and feedback control logic for actuation, recording up to 1 terabyte (TB) of data per hour of driving.
A global navigation satellite system with an inertial measurement unit combined with a LiDAR point cloud on a high-definition map provides location accuracy to within a centimeter.
“We’re using this as a test bed to try out different sensors and LiDAR,” Lindgren said. Three LiDARs from two different suppliers, three radars and six cameras sense the surrounding road environment and feed fusion algorithms in the perception stack to identify and track objects.
Mechanical modifications include redundant steering torque overlay system, an upgraded high-capacity alternator and a high-fidelity electronically controlled air-braking system and rear seats in the place of a sleeper berth to accommodate engineers for ride-alongs.
Competitor plays
A year ago at CES, autonomous startup Tu Simple showed its similarly equipped truck, which is now running revenue-generating routes with a safety driver in the U.S. Southwest. Daimler Trucks North America is testing its Level 4 Freightliner Cascadia on public roads in Virginia near Torc Robotics, the 13-year-old software provider it purchased in March 2019 to speed its readiness for automated trucking.
“We’re learning about how to do autonomous trucks,” said Lindgren, who separately oversees Kenworth’s partnership with Toyota Motor Corp. in the development of 10 Class 8 hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks.
“We’re doing a lot of the (autonomous) software development ourselves. We’re also having others do software development for us so it gives us a chance to learn about that too,” he said.
2025 timeline
A day before Kenworth’s quiet reveal at CES, German supplier ZF Friedrichshafen said it would provide a fully autonomous system for an unidentified commercial vehicle customer by 2025.
“There is a lot of development that is happening in the automotive industry overall that is accelerating some of this,” Lindgren said. “Not all of it is really built for heavy trucks. It doesn’t have the kind of longevity and durability that we need.”
But Lindgren said 2025 is a reasonable time frame for autonomous trucks to be on the road and operating in a terminal environment.
“We’re pursuing both so they could come together at the same time,” he said.
He discounts remote-controlled driverless trucks like those promoted by Starsky Robotics and Stolkholm, Sweden-based Einride.
“There will be a lot of telemetries so the home office knows where it is,” Lindgren said. “Will somebody be watching a screen and piloting? I don’t see that happening. Certainly you can do that, but I don’t know if that is where the gains will be.”
William Kaufman
I don’t care how much technology you provide, nothing can replace the human element. Granted, drivers of today have inferior teaching, no common sense and zero respect behind the wheel of a commercial truck. C’mon, flip flops, one foot on the dash, texting? Maybe those steering wheel holders can be replaced, but us drivers of the last 20 to 30 years? All you’re doing is planning on putting us out of work. Can’t wait to see the 1st billion dollar lawsuit when one of your futuristic “autonomous” super trucks kills a family in transit…
Kevin Wilson
What idiot thinks this is a good idea ?
Steven
Your mechanics don’t even know how to fix properly a regeneration system.
Darrel
Correct sir
Gene cook
Has to be better than that garbage paccar engine
Troy
I want a job driving that truck… oh um never mind.
Joan Prescott
Before you design this stupid autonomous truck that are going to nothing more than 80lb killing machines that won’t be able to do everything a real driver. You need to fix the Piece Of Shit Faulty Sensors you already have on trucks. These trucks with sensors are Dangerous. There’s nothing better than a truck that slams on the brakes for no reason. What happens when they slam on the brakes on snow and ice covered roads. I’m always dealing with distance and Collision warnings and there is nothing in front of me . They also pick up speed limit signs on other roads you aren’t on and slow the truck down. They constantly beep and distract the driver. They get covered with snow, ice and other debris and don’t work. They don’t stay Calibrated and can take 2 & 3 attempts to re-calibrate them and then it only holds for a month. They will then malfunction so you can’t use Cruise Control. Basically a Huge Dangerous Pain in the Ass. There are a lot of trucking Companies that are talking about disconnecting them because they cause to many problems and are to distracting. Anyone who thinks they can make a Completely Automated Truck when they can’t even get the Sensors we already have working right is a Complete Fool.