We have already told you that the Daimler automobile concern is working on the creation of autonomous trucks that are capable of independently driving on roads under the control of an autopilot. The moment came when the developers decided to send several of these trucks on their first long journey from the German city of Stuttgart to the Dutch city of Rotterdam. Three autonomous trucks will move along public roads, while they will exchange useful information with each other using Wi-Fi.
Unlike ordinary trucks, which must withstand a distance of 50 meters from the vehicle in front, autonomous Mercedes Benz trucks only need 15 meters. Thanks to this, a convoy of three trucks occupies only 80 meters on the roadway instead of 150 if they were driven by drivers. Reducing the distance has become possible thanks to the Connected Pilot system, which integrates a truck convoy into one network. And if the truck ahead will suddenly be forced to slow down or stop, the vehicles behind it will learn about it within 0.1 second, which is 1.3 seconds faster than the average reaction of a professional trucker.
Nevertheless, in all three trucks there will be Daimler specialists who will monitor the progress of the experiment and, if necessary, take control. No one is safe from the fact that a new system can cause a sudden failure and endanger other road users. Due to the fact that the new trucks were designed to reduce harmful CO2 emissions into the environment, Daimler also hopes to improve the environmental situation in Europe. A column of autonomous trucks should arrive at their destination today, April 6th.
The article is based on materials .
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