Truck Platooning is what it is called. The new high tech system that allows trucks to travel on automation and closely together. The benefits of this new technology goes beyond the road.
This feature makes the road safer for truckers and drivers because fatigue decreases in drivers. They are driving and maintaining the vehicle but their is no constant need of pushing the gas and brake petals.
This new technology was tested on Wednesday on the busy Los Angeles 110 Freeway. There were 3 Volvo Semi- Trucks were driving down the busy 110 freeway spaced 50 apart from each other and the robots were controlling 2 of the Semi-trucks.
This Platoon technology allows tightly contained, digitally connected packs of two to five trucks to drive in formation to reduce wind resistance and increase fuel efficiency. The stray of semis is controlled by a captain, who is in the front Semi-truck and is controlled by a driver, the rest follow its lead. Drivers are present in the other vehicles but the vehicles are autonomous most of the way, sensors were controlling the speed and distancing of the vehicle. If the truck in front drifted away the truck in back sped up. If the trucks were getting too close the truck in the back began to brake.
During the test drive, the speed of the semi-trucks was 55 mph. The driver has the ability to choose from 4 distances which range from 0.6 to 1.5 seconds.
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