September 11, 2019 Volume 1, Number 9

The big news of the last few days is undoubtedly the announcement by Daimler Trucks that it’s begun testing automated trucks on public roads. That is, with SAE Level 4 autonomous technology. It’s not a first, but the company seems more intent than ever on making this work.

After months of extensive testing and safety validation on a closed-loop track, the company is now using highways in southwest Virginia, near the Blacksburg headquarters of its recently acquired partner, Torc Robotics. The latter is part of the global development network known as the Daimler Trucks Autonomous Technology Group, in which the truck maker is consolidating all its automation expertise and activity into one organization. It has locations in Blacksburg, VA and Portland, OR as well as in Stuttgart, Germany.

Note that Daimler, already selling Level 2 automated trucks, appears to be skipping Level 3 autonomy now, known as “conditionally automated driving,” Daimler explains (see below for definitions of the five autonomy technologies). Both of its first semi-autonomous trucks, an Actros in 2014 and a Cascadia in 2015, were at Level 3.

All automated runs in Virginia require both an engineer overseeing the system and a “safety” driver certified by both Daimler and Torc. All drivers are specially trained in vehicle dynamics and automated systems.

Both test-track and on-road validation play an integral role in establishing the essential building blocks for successfully advancing automated technology, according to Daimler.

“We understand the needs of the industry,” says Daimler Trucks & Buses chief Martin Daum. “Bringing Level 4 trucks to the public roads is a major step toward our goal to deliver reliable and safe trucks for the benefits of our customers, our economies and society.”

Torc is one of the world’s most experienced companies in the field of automated driving, says the OEM, with highly sophisticated, roadworthy technology and years of expertise with heavy-duty commercial vehicles. ‘Asimov’ is the name of Torc’s automated driving system, and it’s been tested in urban and long-distance routes as well as in rain, snow, fog, and varying light conditions. The company will remain a separate entity and retain its name, team, existing customers, and facilities in Blacksburg.

PORTLAND PLAYS A ROLE

Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is working on a truck chassis perfectly suited for highly automated driving, particularly the redundancy of systems needed to provide reliability and safety.

Roger Nielsen, DTNA president and CEO: “As we pair Daimler’s expertise in building safe and reliable trucks with Torc’s genius in engineering Level 4 vehicles, we have no doubt we will do great things in the future. We look forward to writing history together. The U.S. highways are the perfect place to develop automated driving technology.”

Within the Autonomous Technology Group, DTNA is also building an infrastructure required for the operational testing of initial application cases. This consists of a main control center and logistics hubs. These hubs are located along high-density freight corridors where many customers operate and within close proximity of interstates and highways.

THE LEVELS OF AUTOMATION

The criteria, as interpreted by Daimler here, were developed by SAE International, formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers. The SAE J3016 standard details the classification and defines the varying levels of automation. It has served to define the industry-wide standard since January 2014 (source can be found here).

Level 0: Manual Driving — All driving maneuvers are performed by the driver. May include support of warning or assistance systems.