World’s first self-driving truck takes to the highways in Nevada

"Today is history," Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval said Tuesday, posing along with Daimler board member Wolfgang Bernhard with a red license plate for the self-driving truck at an event at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Prior to the current testing, the self-driving truck covered over 16,000 kilometers on a test circuit in Germany.

rt.com...

a reply to: wasaka

I appreciate the fact that you created this thread...but as the author...I would like to know what do you think about the worlds first self-driving truck? Would you want to ride in one?

I personally am going to watch and see what happens to other people who are brave enough to ride in a self-driving truck; at this time I would not ride in one...I am thinking about other drivers on the road and if the self-driving truck is smart enough to avoid an accident etc.

originally posted by: caladonea
a reply to: wasaka

I appreciate the fact that you created this thread...but as the author...I would like to know what do you think about the worlds first self-driving truck? Would you want to ride in one?

I live in Nevada, so the headline got my attention.

But I wonder.... Who is going to pump the gas?

I've seen a lot of talk about this technology recently,
but I am surprised it is actually hitting the road.

Watch out for the RED licence plates.

a reply to: wasaka

Maximum Overdrive!

a reply to: wasaka

Was the truck ever on a highway or just the speedway? Unclear to me. Big diff.

I wanna know who would insure it?

a reply to: wasaka


There is no way this will end well. Huge amounts of lost jobs, glitches that cause accidents, government sending groups of activist off cliffs, hackers, etc.

a reply to: wasaka

Marketing scheme that isn't based on the reality of what truck driving truly is.

Let's see this truck navigate a grocery warehouse during rush hour traffic. Let's see this truck back and avoid other driver's who are bad at what they do. Let's see this truck navigate roads that were built prior to trucks existing of this size.

Let's see it.

Stories like these aren't based on reality; like the self-driving car.

They need to vastly improve current computer science(p=np) and sensor technology before something like this would be anywhere near the realm of possibility.

originally posted by: theyknowwhoyouare
a reply to: wasaka


There is no way this will end well. Huge amounts of lost jobs, glitches that cause accidents, government sending groups of activist off cliffs, hackers, etc.

I can see it now... a Hollywood movie where self-driving
big rigs are remotely driven into the largest cities in the
USA and detonate their E-Bombs (EMP weapons). Would
make a good mini-series or a James Wesley Rawles book.

They're self driving in that they maintain separation from other vehicles and control their lanes automatically. They're not unmanned.

I wonder who is going to fix a tyre if it blows. And I wonder how it will cope when something unexpected happens- like a child or animal running on to the road. Sometimes you really need a human brain to anticipate what another human is about to do. Does a computer know what a drunk or suicidal person might do? I was driving along a busy road one day and a drunk looked me straight in the eye and stepped out in front of me. I just knew he would do that-Murphy's Law- and slammed the brakes on giving him just enough time to wobble back to the kerb. A computer cannot predict what a person might do- only another human can, maybe.

a reply to: grumpy64

It's not unmanned. There is still a driver there doing all the basic functions. The system automatically keeps a safe distance between other vehicles and keeps itself in the center of its lane.

There's still a person in the driver seat. This allows for trucks to platoon and save fuel, and do it safely as well as cutting down on accidents caused by drivers not paying attention.

Please add further comments to the existing thread located here:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Thread closed.

originally posted by: OrphanApology
a reply to: wasaka

Marketing scheme that isn't based on the reality of what truck driving truly is.

Let's see this truck navigate a grocery warehouse during rush hour traffic. Let's see this truck back and avoid other driver's who are bad at what they do. Let's see this truck navigate roads that were built prior to trucks existing of this size.

Let's see it.

Stories like these aren't based on reality; like the self-driving car.

They need to vastly improve current computer science(p=np) and sensor technology before something like this would be anywhere near the realm of possibility.

A good start would be the cross-country deliveries. Transfer stations outside cities cores would allow the best of both worlds. It would be nice to see most deliveries get moved to sub terrain within cities anyway. That alone would save a bunch of energy from reefers being cranked all summer.

This is pretty exciting stuff and more exciting to see Daimler getting in too. I was getting worried that Ford was all that was going to stand in the way of Google. But then again I think we all know that Google is going to control the automotive grid network or what ever thimgamajjigger os going to to connect all these things.

Doesn't Google have 180 satellites right now?

a reply to: Zaphod58

So it's technology that already exists?

a reply to: OrphanApology

Just put together a little differently. Freightliner trucks already can come with radar installed. Mine has a mobile eye system that sounds a warning if I cross a line without the turn signal on.

They just put it together in a better package.