Self-Driving Big Rigs Become a Reality

drinkypoo writes: We've been discussing the importance of automating over-the-road trucking here on Slashdot whenever self-driving vehicles come up in conversation. Jalopnik reports that the Freightliner "Inspiration Truck" will be the first autonomous commercial truck to drive on American roads. It's been given the green light to start testing its self-driving technology on the roads of Nevada. A human will be present at the wheel at all times, and will take control whenever the truck is in more populated areas. "Given a big trucks' long stopping distances and limited maneuverability, driving one requires the ability to correctly predict what's going to happen far out ahead. That requires foresight and intuition that are difficult to program into computers."

Comments

Dupe

[Thanshin]

This development was already described over a decade ago:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M...

What could possibly go wrong

[fropenn]

1. Drive your car in front of a self-driving rig
2. Bring your car to a stop, thus forcing the rig to stop
3. Help yourself to whatever goodies the truck is hauling
4. Profit!

Re:Teamsters

[Anonymous Coward]

Long distance hauling often has teams of two drivers (often husband/wife) though obviously they don't operate the vehicle at exactly the same moment.

I was driving a big rig a few years back with my "copilot" in the passenger side. He was dozing off while I was winding through some crazy mountain roads. At one point, I see a sign that says "18% grade use low low gears" so I try popping it down but it just sticks and we're barreling down this road at 60-something when a safe speed is more around 25. I start riding the brakes, but instead of slowing down, all that happens is the smell of bad brakes. Up ahead, of course, I see an overturned Winnebago. Some douchebag had turned over his ugly 18-foot camper at the bottom of the hill. I'm going at this thing around 50-55mph, it's probably a quarter mile ahead. That's when I remembered something my partner told me...So I tried waking him up.

Hal! HAL!
What is it?
Remember how you told me you've never seen a big wreck before?
Yeah?
Well wake up! You're about to!

Re:Teamsters

[bws111]

So the guy who overturned his Winnebago is a 'douchebag', but YOUR problems are purely mechanical, beyond your control? Gotcha.

We just have to enforce the laws in the books.

[140Mandak262Jamuna]

There are tons of unenforced traffic laws. Just enforce them to take care of these behemoths.

All horseless carriages must be preceded by a flagman on foot, it shall come to a full and complete stop at every cross road, ring a bell, set off a fire cracker before proceeding further. Such horseless carriages should also have a fake horse head/neck mounted so as not to frighten horses.