Peterbilt showcased its Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) during a Technology Showcase May 29 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Peterbilt showcased its Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) during a Technology Showcase Friday at Texas Motor Speedway.
The system is a street capable GPS autopilot that Bill Kahn, principal engineer for Peterbilt, says is accurate to within 5 centimeters.
“It’s the stepping stone to autonomous driving,” he says.
The truck uses a sophisticated camera system to guide and center itself within the lane, but the software is also capable of learning a route when such markers are absent.
While the truck can adjust its own speed, detect objects in its path and navigate itself toward its destination, Kahn says the outfitted Model 579 test unit – which would be classified as a Level 3 autonomous vehicle – is far from an autonomous truck.
“It still needs the capability to sense what is going on around it,” he says of future evolutions in autonomous driving. “… to know when to change lanes, know what’s going on up ahead … and those type things.”
In a leisurely drive around the infield track at the Texas Speedway, Kahn was more passenger than driver, letting the truck adjust its own speed and steer itself through the course.
Even with the system fully engaged, Kahn is quick to note that the driver is always in control of the vehicle.
“The driver is the decision maker in the truck,” he says. “At this point, we want the driver to keep his hands on the wheel and stay alert; not necessarily be actively driving the truck, but being alert.”
The driver can override the steering system at any time by simply moving the steering wheel.
Since the track had no lane markers or GPS coordinates, Kahn pre-programmed the route, compete with lane changes, by taking two test laps with full control of the truck.
from Overdrive http://ift.tt/1ACY8Ti
Sourced by Quik DMV - CADMV fleet registration services. Renew your registration online in only 10 minutes. No DMV visits, no lines, no phone mazes, and no appointments needed. Visit Quik, Click, Pay & Print your registration from home or any local print shop.
No comments:
Post a Comment