For the first time ever, the federal government has approved a waiver which will allow a fully autonomous and fully driverless vehicle to operate on public roads. The vehicle has been approved to operate without standard safety measures like steering wheels and brake pedals. There’s not even a place for a driver to sit.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has approved a waiver request from robotics company Nuro. The Silicon Valley company will be allowed to put their “R2” delivery vehicle on public roads without meeting some of the 75 auto safety standards that are currently required by the NHTSA.
Speaking about the Nuro waiver request, Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao commented that “certain features that the department traditionally required — such as mirrors and windshield for vehicles carrying drivers — no longer make sense.”
Nuro’s “R2” is a vehicle designed to deliver groceries and other household items directly to people’s homes. Once a customer inputs a code verifying their identity, one of the gull-wing doors swings open and they can remove their items from a climate-controlled compartment located where passengers and a driver might have been in a normal car.
It uses lasers, cameras, and radar sensors common in autonomous vehicle technology to navigate. And even though it operates on public roads with the flow of traffic, it is currently required to travel under 25 miles per hour.
The “R2” will be rolled out first in Houston, TX. Walmart and Domino’s pizza have already announced plans to partner with Nuro for deliveries. NHTSA has approved Nuro to deploy up to 5,000 “R2” vehicles over the next two years.
Well, this sort of makes sense: it’s a small delivery vehicle.. would not make sense at all to do that with a large truck weighing 80,000 pounds.. while different safety scenario
Denial….you, me, we all, are going to be replaced may not be 5 years or 10 or 15 buts coming this the last generation of truck drivers.
I respectfully disagree. The ability of technology to discern between an object and its manifest meaning just isn’t up to the task yet. ( And God help us when it is).
One cannot code for a process that even we don’t understand in ourselves.
What parameters would a machine use to differentiate between a large coyote and a small child? Or to decide between hitting a single child on the road or hitting a school bus with 40 children in it?
And an even better question is who’s to blame should some component of the tech fail and someone be injured or killed?
Anyone who cannot foresee the tangle of “outsourced culpability” either lacks imagination or just isn’t paying attention to anything other than the shiny gleam of progressivism.
So true
Lori, while I agree with the direction your comment goes, you also have to consider. This is the same group that works with the fed on regulating the trucking industry, while laying claim to it all being done in the name of public safety
Also consider how many of the new HOS regulations and ELD mandates have not managed to make the road safer. And may have even made the more dangerous for both the public and for truckers.
Let them take the trucking jobs away. There are more jobs available in the HVAC and mechanic industry that the government can’t regulate. Must suck for them that they can’t get their greasy slime bucket hands on those industries, doesn’t it losers? (referring to the scumbags in Washington)
Can’t wait until the 1st time one of those vehicles kill somebody they will cease to exist
Or a terrorist or hacker with a grudge against Society gets a hold of one of them.
There is still nothing better for adapting to the unexpected on the fly, than a human.
We are gripped by a form of toxic ideological thinking that only sees the shortcomings of people and not their value.
https://www.wired.com/story/uber-self-driving-car-crash-arizona-pedestrian/ already did
I’m thinking the same thing, Walmart will lose millions on the first accident. 25 mph, someone will take it out when it clogs up traffic worse than what it is now.
Only 25 miles per hour is itself creating a safety issue.
Gee, what could POSSIBLY go wrong? Can’t you just see everyone wanting to walk down to the street to get their groceries or pizza? I can see maybe one pizza delivery just to say you did it, but after that, you’ll pick your own up because then it’s still hot. And can’t you ALSO see UPS no longer having drivers to actually DELIVER packages? These visions are ahead of reality.
Hackers are out there already whetting their chops to screw this up.
You over the road guys better start looking at a local, so called last mile delivery company. Road jobs suck and soon will be gone and who says different is lying to themselves. Hit me back here, I’m looking for a few flatbed drivers. Home daily. Ct area
It’s hilarious everytime I see one of these articles on driverless trucks its followed by a slew of truckers in complete denial of their jobs being lost. Why do you think the industry is getting the heavy hand of regulation now?! It’s to push us out early to limit the brunt of an entire industry being unemployed with nothing to fall back on. This is the inevitable course of the industry and you can make every claim these machines and ai, can’t do what you do, doesn’t change the fact that they can and will more safely and efficiently. Start looking for other work unless your 15 years out from retirement like myself you might make it.
I will NEVER happen.
Lets look at history as proof. Airlines tried this exact thing, and they were given full reign (mainly because there are no other aircraft in the way to have an accident) but they were wrong…. DEAD wrong. after multiple landing and take off accidents they pulled the plug on fully automated aircraft. Thats why they still have pilots (even though the airplane is still equipped with “auto pilot”
Thats what will end up happening in our industry. We will have “auto assist” but never fully automated OTR. Heres why. that truck cannot do a pre trip. do you think they can implement sensors to determine if an airline in the trailer is leaking? How about tread depth on the tires? (sure it can sense them before take off, but while moving, NOPE) How about that drunk driver that cut you off, or that mini car that re-ended you….(have you ever been rear-ended by a car? did you feel it? )come on, there is NO POSSIBLE way for them to implement every possible scenario into a sensor, the cost would far out weigh the ROI. then there are the hackers and terrorist just waiting to get their hands on a hazmat vehicle running with no driver. You think truck jackings are high today, you just wait and see how many deliveries get jacked in the future.
Reality people, is why I am not worried about my company going under.
The push to make everything safer and more efficient, left to machine logic, will eventually require the retirement of the whole human race.
There are far more important things in life than the delusion of safety and the saving of money.
You still have planes up there 50 years or more past autopilot and you still have a full flight crew. Hell they still have locomotives out there running everyday with a full crew. And that would be the easiest thing to automate. Just saying I don’t see it coming anytime soon
They cant get automated sinks to function and you think they can get a vehicle to work. Dont forget the constant updates , or the bugs that come with under developed rushed software. Maybe if it was thirty years ago and the developers had the same excitement for computers but anymore its just a race to steal from the consumer and taxpayer and get as many government handouts as possible.
Just follow the Benjamins. Look how many have been put into the autonomy thing. It’s coming whether we like it or not.
I think it’s important to ask why it’s coming.
What ethos is at work that would decide there is higher value in the delusion of safety in the saving of money, than in letting a person do something they find meaningful and enjoy?
People need to read some Aldous Huxley.
This is just Reckless progressivism. It turns out the human feat of not just seeing but Interpreting what we see is insanely complex. We don’t see objects so much as we see meanings. And a small child dashing out in front of a vehicle has a far different meaning than a large canid doing it.
So what is it that they think their sensors are going to detect? The size of an object or its density? A tumbleweed is about the same size as a rock, but they have different meanings.
We are really jumping the gun on this one and fancying ourselves far smarter than we have just cause to.
( Plus it’s reasonable to believe that the hijackers nerd hackers and terrorists with grudges against Society are going to have a lot of fun with these unmanned vehicles.)
Not really. And people have to want this first.
Wed have to want it first. No ethical people are going to use this. Just like they dint use checkout kiosks’
This was not thought out very well. Majority of the locations in my city, grocery stores, pizza or fast food locations are in large shopping areas designed to accommodate several housing development locations, some gated with access code to gain entry. Hum, no driver, no way to access the entry point, no delivery? Unless the delivery company gets access to the hundreds of access codes. No wait they are AI, they can run a auto scanner to open the gate to gain access, SO MUCH FOR SECURITY I pay dues for to live in that gated location. I shouldn’t be worried because the speed limit to get to and from those locations on average is 35-45 mph and if that vehicle is limited to 25 mph, it’s impeding traffic creating a traffic road rage for the driver wanting to drive the speed limit.
And everyone who approved this should be ready for any criminal and civil charges if it fails hurting or killing someone.
I have been trucking for many years and from my own personal observation trucking will get a new face lift… the automation doesn’t work and will not for at least 50 years out. I wish these tech support companies quit putting out false information scarring old truckers as myself.
50 years??? technology advances faster and faster every minute. think about what you just said. there are autonomous vehicles on the road RIGHT NOW. what was happening with tech 50 years ago? think about the difference between 1970 and right now and tell me if you are stupid or ignorant with that 50 years statement. in 50 years you wont even recognize technology from today like a current teen trying to dial a rotary phone, change the channel on their TV or imagine the power of a computer the size of a house. you sir, are an idiot.
Who are you really mad at?
NVM 1970 just think TECH from year 2000 and now how advance is after 20 years and it was just beginning of smart life
In 50 years you’ll have more concerning issues. Like what gender your lot lizzard was at birth.
Dam, in my day there was talk of a queer living in the next town, and we couldn’t believe it. Then would inevitably hear someone say “what’s a queer”? Our response “Oh that’s a JB Hunt driver”.
Listen hear, there’s nothing honorable about being a truck driver now, then, or certainly 50 years from now when all deliveries will be air freight or transported SCOTTY style. Beam me up, over, around, or through. And don’t be late.
the same people are already taking the liability for humans killing and injuring people. do you think they believe you are safer than a computer? do you believe it yourself?
Welcome to the world of Wall’e and the Terminator !
We are getting so lazy we now we can’t even pick up a pizza just want computers do all the work for ya ? Well I suggest if your that lazy and don’t
want to do anything but lay around…CHECK YOURSELF INTO A NURSING HOME. They will feed ya wipe your but and you can lay around all day…
Humm sounds like a plan !
Need to stop putting people out of work ! And make more work for people
not more work for computers.
Monkey Wrench.
great idea coast of the vehicle, maintenance and the pizza still is not at my door. i did not want to get wet and cold in the first place that is why i ordered delivery in the first place DUH !!!
Just like the self driving cars that do have a driver/observer onboard, but still run people over, this is doomed to fail. The first time it kills a pedestrian, that will be the end of it. The lawsuit will bury the company!
Nah, someday you will come to understand the sacrifice of a few is always worth evolution.always have and always will.
And That is the truth!
The wealthy are going to get wealthier and the working man is going to be jobless. If they don’t need employees to drive then think how much more money companies can put in their pockets. Rich are getting exactly what they want less employees.
Worlwide laziness,, online purchases that are eliminating jobs, zombies walking around on their cell phones, new news release that cell phones causes cancers, brain and organ problems that penetrate the fetus, now driverless vehicles. I know what’s coming ,and I’m here on earth to be a witness to the great wake up call . Sadly.
While I’m guilty of taking advantage of convenient technology, like smart phones, laptops, flat screen TVs, etc these things create jobs and don’t steal jobs out from under the nose of people….”so interested in seeing whether they could they didn’t stop to think whether they should!!” -quote from a movie-name that movie
“Jurassic Park”. That statement should be painted on the walls of every research station I the world.
Follow the money. Safety??? having been in the trucking business for over thirty years,this is just another brainstorm of some one who has no clue. God help us.
I see a new hobby. Instead of cow tipping teens can go R2 tipping.
When it pulls up to a stoplight a bunch of guys can just run up and push it over. Lol
That might slow down people wanting these things.
it never ceases to amaze me how stupid people are. do you really think being a grey haired ruck driver is going to stop the advancement of technology? you are more expensive and demanding than a computer chip. the fact that you are on this site trying to pretend that your career isnt already over proves that you will be replaced by technology less sophisticated that the device you used to post your ignorant comment.
Who are we kidding, Americans are to fat and lazy to walk alllll the way out to receive there delivery.🤪
Agreed. It’s not really “delivery” unless it’s brought to your front door and put in your hands.
I’m sorry but this is all just a bad idea on the list of the long sad history of bad ideas….too many reasons to list but the top two in my eyes would be 1) the probably very easily hack able technology. 2) let’s give away more and more jobs to robots that a hard working human could make a good living doing….how far do you take it…scrap it now b4 you find yourselves in a deep deep pit of regret!!
All speculation, people. Nobodys psychic. All I know, is I’m adaptable and know other trades, despite some politicians saying otherwise. All I know is the now, and I’m driving my own truck, not a computer. Anything can happen in the evolution of these driverless trucks. They could be a huge success and very quickly replace humans. They could be a disaster bc of multiple wrecks and hackers. Also, it could take a while to change our entire infrastructure to cater to the needd of these vehicles. Lot of trash talk I see on here, and that’s just sad. I’m not going to tell anybody they will be put of a job in 5 or 10 or however many years because I cant predict the future. People adapt though. Even truckers, lol. Always have. Always will. Now tell me I’m living in the stone age or whatever. Lol. Your opinion. I understand that people are hateful. It’s a phase for most but sadly some never escape it. Anyway, I wrote a book here. Keep your heads up drivers. We live in the now, not the future we’ve had drilled in our minds the last 20 years.
Thank you, Adam! Your reply was the only thoughtful reply I saw. Nobody knows what’s miles in the distance, so keep looking ahead for immediate hazards. Big dollars have been backing automation since the first computers. Lawyers as well as drivers could be replaced by algorithms– simple lines of code– if the powers that be get their way.
And a bigger threat to us all is climate change, believe it or not. Either haulers change how they operate OR eventually our busiest roads and loading docks will be unpassable by ANY vehicle. Our coastal areas will be flooded!!!
You people that think you have so many years left consider… The time between the copper sword and steel sword was 4 times longer than the steel sword to the atomic bomb.. technology moves fast and our “deregulating” president is it’s biggest Ally at the moment.
I am saddened but not surprised how fascinating people find the autonomous vehicle debate. Everybody has an opinion, as if it’s the most important issue. On the other hand very few are talking about the fuel efficiency and overall viability of the internal combustion vehicles that our industry uses. THAT is the most important issue. If the logistics/automotive industries– and all of the fossil fuel economy– don’t figure out how to quickly shrink their carbon footprint, it won’t matter who or what is driving these vehicles through the rising waters. A lot of us drivers will be talking about boats and scuba gear.
I live in the woods
Grow my own food
Kill my own meat
I’m good
Keep life simple
Less stress, healthier and happier
Well
If humans would stop polluting our air and water. Humans are killing humans and wiping out our own kind with there pollution
No Crashes
No problem
No Freight Losses
No problem
I Would like to know what they are going to do when it hits a pothole and messes up their computer system Lord knows that they can’t even fix roads for us to drive on
A Robodriver will be hard to implement in a CMV. Just look at how flawed the Bendix Wingman system is.
How will we feed our families with robots taking our jobs?