Semi-autonomous convoy of trucks have been successfully tested on European roads

In Europe, successfully completed a pilot competition European Truck Platooning Challenge, in which semi-trucks from different automakers followed the columns over long distances. Trucks from Daimler, Volvo and Scania have been up to 2000 km in several European countries. April 7 column finished in the Dutch port of Maasvlakte.

Semi-truck convoy is made up of several vehicles, of which only the front is controlled by the driver. Follow him as the cars behind the locomotive, truck, computer controlled, receiving commands from the front on WiFi. They are also equipped with distance sensors and satellite navigation. They automatically keep the speed of the head of the truck, and simultaneously inhibit accelerated, and themselves turn him in the right places. The intelligent system can recognize the car, trying to fit into a column, and modify the distance.


Brief description of the column

According to the calculations of the Dutch research firm the TNO, such a column of trucks should not only reduce the number of accidents on the roads (because 90% of accidents occur due to errors of drivers), but also save a little fuel - trucks coming in the wake of the brain by reducing friction spend air 10% less fuel. Furthermore, automatic trucks can stay close to each other, saving space on the road.


calming shooting passage of columns made from a helicopter

In the just concluded the experiment, just in case the driver is present in each truck, and semi-column activated only on motorways is not too heavily loaded road. Trucks drove through Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands (all in the race involved three columns, each of which had its own route).

Source: geektimes.ru/post/274004/