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Aurora Innovation is testing its autonomous driverless technology at high speeds on the Transportation Research Center’s 7.5-mile track in Ohio, the company said in an email.
The trucks take about 10 to 15 minutes to complete one lap of the track, an Aurora spokesman said. The company began testing the trucks at highway speeds at the research center in the second half of last year.
“It was impressive to see it go 75 miles an hour with no one on it,” Aurora senior safety specialist Bryan Jones said at the Mid-America Trucking Show last month. On public highways, autonomous trucks travel at 65 mph, Jones said, and have vehicle operators in the cab.
Aurora uses test tracks and security authorities to verify that the autonomous system is working properly, the company noted. Advocates say autonomous vehicles can reduce accidentseven if other drivers act unpredictably.
“Equipped with advanced sensors and 360-degree views and programmed as model drivers, AVs do not drive drowsy, distracted, impaired or reckless,” the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association said. inaugural annual report.
Aurora partners such as Schneider National, Hirschbach Motor Lines and FedEx are testing AV technology on public roads in Texas. Tech-equipped trucks logged more than 820,000 commercial miles last year, per earnings presentation.
The videos showed a driverless Aurora tractor-trailer traveling down the track and passing a vehicle stopped in another lane. In other shots, the truck travels alone and behind a passenger vehicle.
The tests show the ability to prevent dangerous situations
Other company videos from a test facility in Pittsburgh showed Aurora trucks responding to an SUV aggressively changing lanes and a dummy pedestrian moving into their path. Even when passenger vehicles limit the Aurora truck’s ability to safely diffuse a situation, the tractor-trailer can safely stop.
“We’ve worked closely with public safety officials to ensure our autonomous trucks can respond appropriately when they encounter emergency vehicles on the road,” Nat Beuse, Aurora’s chief safety officer, said in a statement. blog post last month. “This included coordinating with many public safety agencies across the country, including Texas where we plan to launch our driverless truck product.”
Aurora’s test fleet is also active in the Bay Area, according to annual report.
The company plans to switch freight delivery trials with vehicle operators on board to fully autonomous operations between Dallas and Houston by the end of this year.
For next year, Aurora has targeted adding a lane in Texas from Fort Worth to El Paso, as well as a route that includes Phoenix or Atlanta, according to a earnings presentation. This will also coincide with the company’s schedule to operate the trucks not only in optimal conditions but also in rain and strong winds.
Simulations help test scale
Private track tests are only one part of a process. Marc Verdugo, who oversees Aurora’s test operations, said in a statement to Trucking Dive that the company is developing the technology in simulation and on test tracks before developing new capabilities on public roads.
“This includes validating the ability of our autonomous trucks to navigate the complex situations we expect them to encounter in the real world, such as handling law enforcement interactions, collision avoidance, tire blowouts, construction zones, lane closures, inattentive drivers and road debris. ” he said.
The company’s virtual test can simulate over 50,000 trucks on the road in an hour, according to investor presentation. This helps increase the speed at which the company can bring the technology to market.
“We continued to use simulation, tracking testing and commercial operations to learn and improve our product prior to commercial launch,” said Verdugo. He noted that the company’s approach to development includes defining and building product capabilities, refining and piloting those features, and validating the technology to meet its security case.
Editor’s Note: An earlier caption included an incorrect timeline, which has been corrected. The updated story also clarified comments about public highway speeds.