Commercial truck drivers in Kentucky may soon be able to take advantage of the technology created by an autonomous trucking startup company that would allow commercial trucks to be remotely operated. The system created by the San Francisco-based company uses radar and camera systems on the sides and front of the vehicle to allow drivers to control the truck remotely from a terminal to its final delivery destination.
According to the co-founder of the company, the company’s objective is to allow drivers to spend more time at home and to make the job and the working environment more tempting and safer to those considering working as a commercial truck driver. The co-founder further states that the system was designed primarily through the perspective of a truck driver rather than that with a primarily technological focus.
An aftermarket retrofit kit was also created by the company to control the steering, transmission and throttle, allowing the driver in a remote office to dictate what the truck should do. The driver will be able to use the data obtain from the truck’s radar and cameras to determine the truck’s surroundings.
Even while the truck is in autonomous mode, the driver still has control of the vehicle. A remote driver can stop the vehicle mechanically or electronically. According to the company, the technology was successfully tested on a 140-mile trip. This was accomplished with a driver in the truck and with the truck operating autonomously for almost 85 percent of the trip.
Personal injury attorneys may assist victims of semi truck accidents with obtaining the financial settlement they need to recover from their injuries in the event that the accident was caused by negligence. In addition to truck driver error, another cause could be improper truck maintenance.