While the major trucking giants race to see who will be the first to produce the best autonomous truck which will likely have incredibly hefty price tags, one upstart startup is working on a way to make even currently existing trucks capable of autonomous driving. And they’re looking for volunteers.
Founded by Anthony Levandowski, who is fresh off of working on Google’s self-driving car, the company, Otto, is attempting to bypass the eye-popping price tags that are likely to accompany new autonomous trucks when they finally hit the market. Instead, they are developing systems that would be installed on regular trucks to make them autonomous.
Levandowski brought in two other former Google employees as co-founders, Lior Ron and Don Burnette, and another robotics expert, Claire Delaunay. Together they created a system that has already seen its first test on public roads.
And it’s not going to stop there. According to the Associated Press, Otto is looking to install their system on 1,000 trucks – and they’re looking for volunteers.
The kits consist of cameras, lasers, radar and lidar sensors which would allow the vehicle to stay in a lane, govern speed, and slow and stop when necessary. Otto is designed for highway driving only; it is not fully autonomous yet and the systems are unlikely to allow for lane changing or point to point navigation, but the goal is for drivers to be able to use it from exit to exit. As Lior Ron in an interview with BackChannel, “when we feel safe enough, we’re going to virtually tap on the truck driver’s shoulder, and say, for the next 100 miles don’t worry, we got it.”
“We have driven on a bunch of roads in California and outside, testing the sensors,” said Ron. “And we’ve done driving with a safety driver in the back seat but the truck driving autonomously, and a couple of miles completely driverless without a driver in the back seat at all.”
Source: gobytrucknews, truckinginfo, abcnews, bbc, backchannel
Anthony Steckly says
Technology is a good thing until it threatens national security…It’s bad enough the politicians have sent most of the MFG jobs to Mexico and China…Now they want to automate the trucking industry, and other industries as well…Here’s the big question…If American workers are completely put out of work by automation…Then how do you expect them to buy your products?? And if collecting taxes is how the country pays it debts…How will the government pay those debts if there aren’t any Americans working?? You better think long and hard about this, because this could put the nation at great financial peril!!
EZmule says
The article doesn’t say that this is Government. However… When companies are faced with increased employee expense, employee shortages or increased employee regulations (like HR); companies move toward automation.
Timothy P Dunn says
Idiots people already don’t see trucks now now you want to take the skills that some have from actual work and put us out of a job . This more dangerous than giving you the job to come up with this. These our not train’s on a track they are 80000 plus pieces of steel on a road . Without a driver . Take the work away you will stop America
JJ says
So I get to retire early without pay?
John says
No, you don’t retire yet. You need to train your replacement first so that we can then fire you with no benefits. Meet OTTO. By the way, not only will drivers lose jobs, so will thousands of truckstop employees, mechanics, sales reps, safety personnel, and so on. The only ones to benefit from this is the CEO and president of transport companies.
Brian White says
I look at this as an opportunity. An opportunity to get on board with new technology, instead of it being forced down my throat. In addition, this would be an opportunity to get in on the ground floor, and hopefully avoid what I think will be an outrageously high price tag on having the same functionality direct from the factory.
To be sure, there are very valid arguments on both sides of the fence with regard to how effective, safe, etc it will be.
The bottom line is this: Autonomous trucks are coming, and just as soon as the desk-driving, pencil- & paper-paper pushing, big government, regulate everything in sight, GD bureaucrats figure out a way to do it, a mandate will be issued. Then we’ll all get to pay $250k for an under-powered, no A/C, manual crank windowed day cab.
EZmule says
OTR trucking days have been numbered; when drivers stopped standing together.
We don’t help each other out. We don’t talk, respectively, to one another. We don’t even talk. We bully each other & are so quick to want to fight.
Especially, when we get stuck in the hammer lane, behind that truck that is governed, so slow. Like 2-5 minutes, really set you back. On that note.. The driver in the right lane, should be slowing down a mile or two. That is what we used to do. Now both drivers just sit in the seat; looking straight ahead. As if, they are in a world of their own. Not caring of the traffic behind them.
Sorry for the rant.
Ridinwithpride says
Some valid points. Standing together won’t stop the future from coming at us but it can, like with your suggestion to let that driver who’s struggling to pass you get on around, make the present a bit better. For me, it’s not even about being nice. I don’t feel safe with all that traffic riding on my tail and bunched up around me.
Tim says
Well put. Difficult as it inevitably is for the majority of workers to swallow, the plain truth is that attempting to block innovation merely on the grounds that it threatens job security is a shortsighted, losing battle for labor—a misguided waste of energy much better spent defending all the legitimate worker rights that are constantly under attack.
Ed says
Why defend workers rights now to wake up to a tomorrow with no workers jobs. This stuff is only “inevitable” because we allow it to proceed. If workers don’t have the legitimate right to a job, then we really don’t have any legitimate rights on the job.
Jsto says
No need for a cab if you don’t need drivers.
Keith says
Think about the positive side of this, while the truck drives itself I can watch tv, surf the net, or play video games. Once the trucks are completely driverless I will buy one and let it drive itself while I sit at home with the family. Maybe I should buy a couple of them since I will no longer have to pay drivers, or insurance, or taxes on their income.
La Teasha says
I would love to try one out at my company we are small but I still like to stay a step ahead.
Droo says
I don’t think we are ever going to have fully automated vehicles. There will always need to be a driver, if nothing else but for liability reasons. A truck that will manage speed and maintain the lane on the freeway for me? Great! But beyond that drivers aren’t going anywhere.
Deke says
All you “drivers” who never wanted to do any extra work, here is the beginning of the end of your career.
Never wanted to haul hazmat cause a few sheets of paper is too much work, never wanted to haul flatbed or reefer, because it’s too much work? Well, you never learned to do anything a computer can’t do for you.
All you new drivers that think you’re going to make a career of trucking, you’d better specialize in something NOW, because in 10 years, there’s going to be 5 hazmat, or flatbed jobs for every 100 truckers, and if you haven’t ever done it before, you won’t even get an interview.
Ryan says
Its a long way off. There numbers upon numbers of things still left to do that the robot can not. Minimum 20 years ahead. Maybe some auto trucks here and there from terminal to terminal. Plus there are countless things that would have to change at the shipper and receiver. Think about it. It will happen but not for a while.
C Taylor says
They said,”The Titanic would never sink”.go figure a high tech tank on wheels they will never learn ,too much technology will put people out of work ,autonomated trucks will collect unemployment for ghost drivers oh and don’t forget there won’t be any animals to run across road through extinction ,see where this is going people.Waaaake UP Citizens of US.
jeff pearson says
A driverless truck.. will eventually mean NO DRIVERS.. AS IN YOU.. THINK ABOUT THAT ONE..
shogun says
4000 people die each year in the U.S. In trucking accidents. 1200 or 30 percent are the truck’s fault. 480,000 people died last year in cigarette related deaths and 88,000 people died in alcohol related deaths in the U.S.last year. It will never be about safety, its all about profit. Otherwise the gov’t would be concerned for the citizen’s safety and forfeit the tax revenue off cigarettes and alcohol.
Tim says
Technology getting there whether we like it or no and I’m sure not every state allow this right away also it will just drive it won’t be able to open trailers door or back up to the dock or drop and hook ,so the operator is needed for every single truck .but still We have to think and come up with a solution to protect truck drivers income
scottie says
I submit my truck for a small fee of upfront non-refundable $1 million dollars.
Bob says
How about useful technology for the trucking industry? Things like tire pressure sensors built into flip flops? Or pieces of plastic that restructure themselves after vibrating and rattling apart. A sensor that replaces itself instead of shutting off a truck in the middle of a construction zone. A truck that automatically slows down when another governed truck tries to overtake it instead of drag racing for ten miles. A truck that pulls itself off the fuel island while its driver is blocking a pump to get his Big Montana from Arby’s. A truck that tells people on the cb where traffic issues, bear traps etc are. After all we can’t expect the seat warmers today to do these things.
ewww says
How should I do this? Self driving trucks aren’t needed. Over the road trucking is about gone. Everything goes on the rail these days. 350 miles is becoming the new long loads. Local trucks are in way too much traffic to even use self drive mode. Regional is the same way. Postponing trucks across country is pretty much useless.
John says
Who you drive for? I get loads of 800 to 2200 miles one way every week, twice to four times a week.
Marcin says
Gooood luck finding one.
Fabio says
106 million without a full time job
#1 job in 31 out of 50 states ?
Truck driver
Do you know what those automated
Trucks will be hauling ?
Nothing
Brian says
Never in a million years would I put that much trust into technology. I will drive my own truck, tenk-u-beddy much!
Infosaur says
Interesting that 3 former Google workers are behind this. From what I hear, some of these tech outfits are really litigious about any IP you develop on company time.
Something tells me these guys are pedaling vaporware looking for a grant, or they’ve got something Google passed on already.