Future Truck 2025: Can A Truck Drive Itself? Yes!

Self-driving Truck or the Future Truck 2025

Future Truck 2025: A self-driving truck by Mercedes Benz

‘If cars can, why not trucks?’ might be the question that would have actuated the engineers at the Mercedes Benz. So, they started to work on the design of an autonomous, Self-driving Truck. The result of their diligent efforts is the Future Truck 2025. It is an intelligent machine that forms the next logical link in the evolution of future generation transport.

Driver relaxes in a Self-driving Truck or the Future Truck 2025 (Image courtesy- Daimler AG)
Driver relaxes in a Self-driving Truck or the Future Truck 2025 (Image courtesy- Daimler AG)

The crux of the technology developed for the Self-driving Truck i.e. Future Truck 2025 is an embedded system – the ‘Highway Pilot’. Once the truck reaches a predetermined speed limit of 80km/h, the system prompts the driver whether he wants to hand over the control of the vehicle to Highway Pilot. If the driver agrees, the system takes over the vehicle and runs it autonomously.

How does it work?

To ensure safe and reliable operation, the Self-driving Truck or Future Truck 2025 communicates with the surrounding in two ways. One is the Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) both of which are the wireless means of communication. Both these systems have a range of 500m each. In addition, the Lateral Radar system having a range of 60m is fitted on both the sides of Future Truck.

Lane change in the Self-driving Truck or the Future Truck 2025 (Image courtesy- Daimler AG)
Lane change in the Self-driving Truck or the Future Truck 2025 (Image courtesy- Daimler AG)

Furthermore, Just below the windshield, a front stereo camera of range 100m is mounted; whereas Full Range Radar (Range 250m) and Short Range Radar (Range 70m) find the place on the front bumper near each other. All these systems working in unison, help the Self-driving Truck or the  Future Truck 2025 make its way through traffic. The ability to take all the driving decisions like lane change and take over make the performance of Self-driving Truck or the Future Truck 2025 articulate.

Highway Pilot regularly communicates with the driver and keeps him informed about the system condition by means of a tablet. The driver can always take the control of the vehicle in between if he wishes to do so.

Tablet- The way system communicates with the driver in a Self-driving Truck or the Future Truck 2025 (Image courtesy- Daimler AG)
Tablet- The way system communicates with the driver in a Self-driving Truck or the Future Truck 2025

Power and Efficiency:

In addition, the Future Truck gets its power from the engine capable of delivering 330kW (449 Hp) and a torque of 2200Nm. The power generated by this engine is transferred to the twelve-speed Mercedes PowerShift 3 automatic transmission. The design of the body helps to reduce the aerodynamic drag; thereby improving the fuel efficiency.

So, the main aim of the development and use of such technology is to improve road safety by minimizing the chances of human error in transportation. It is also useful in reducing the strain on drivers. Daimler has plans to introduce a significant number of the next generation of these trucks on road by the year 2025. The company now is waiting for the suitable law structure that will allow such vehicles to cruise on the roads!

All images – Courtesy: Daimler AG

For more information on the Self-driving Truck or the Future Truck 2025, please click here.

Watch the Future Truck 2025 in action:

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