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TRACKING THE TRENDS
Learning to follow
Autonomous technology may
be ready before the rules are
By Cliff Abbott
The term “platooning” has mostly faded from trucking media, but it’s
a huge part of the march to total autonomy at Pittsburgh-based Locomation.
According to Chief Commercial Officer Glynn Spangenberg, the team
at Locomation believes that platooning is the fastest way to develop the
artificial intelligence needed to eventually replace human drivers.
“They (Locomation engineers) determined that ‘human-guided autonomy,’
that’s one of our mottos, was the best approach,” shared Spangenberg.
“With a human driver in control of the first truck, the second truck goes
through a progression of learning how to be an autonomous truck.”
“Learning” is a solid description of where autonomous trucks are today,
or, at least, the status of the artificial intelligence that drives them. That’s an
important distinction, according to a January 6 blog post from Waymo, that
said the company will no longer use the term “self-driving” in discussing its
technology, replacing it with the term “fully autonomous.”
While the difference may seem small, it underscores that something is in
control of the vehicle, making decisions and guiding its actions. At Locomation,
the human driving the first truck in a platoon is also a teacher.
“Each time the truck goes out under the control of a driver, the computer
records all of the usual sensor data and predicts how the computer would
have reacted to each situation,” explained Spangenberg.
The practice allows engineers to better understand where the artificial
intelligence differs from the human driver. “If the driver does something
different than predicted by the computer, an engineer analyzes why that happened
and makes necessary changes to the programming,” he continued.
“In this way, the truck learns from the human driver and will eventually be
self-sufficient.”
That’s when Truck No. 2 becomes a “drone follower,” without a driver
at all, according to Locomation’s website. The step after that will be trucks
without drivers, first traveling from hub to hub and eventually dock to dock,
steps that will occur when the systems have “learned” enough.
Learning extends beyond the technology companies currently
working on autonomous technology. Auburn University has conducted
platooning trials on its 1.7-mile test track and on I-85 and U.S.
280 in Alabama. “We’re not only helping advance the technology,
but we’re developing future engineers to work in the field,” said Department
of Mechanical Engineering Professor David Bevly. “OEMs
and developers of autonomous technology have hired our graduates.”
Auburn recently unveiled its new autonomous vehicle research facility
at the track, announcing that it will aid researchers in the school’s GPS and
Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory, or GAVLAB. Bevly’s group consists of 40 researchers,
mostly grad students.
While the names Auburn University and GAVLAB may not be familiar
in the autonomous trucking field, the technology they help develop
could end up in anyone’s product. “Since our research typically involves
algorithms and software, it won’t be highly visible to your readers but
could already be a part of many of the autonomous programs currently
working,” explained Bevly. “Our results are published by the Society of
Automotive Engineers (SAE) and are available to builders and vendors
who subscribe.”
The question on the minds of many trucking industry leaders is,
“When will the technology be ready to add to our fleet?” In September
2020, Locomation announced what it claims is the world’s first
autonomous truck purchase order, for 1,120 tractors equipped with
the Locomation autonomy system sold to Springfield, Missouri-based
Wilson Logistics.
“We’re looking at the second half of 2022 for the first Wilson trucks to
be ‘upfitted’ with the Locomation technology and begin being placed into
operation,” shared Spangenberg. The company has entered an agreement
with Rush Enterprises to fit new tractors with its autonomous technology.
“New trucks will go directly from the assembly line to Rush Enterprises,
where they will be upfitted with the Locomation system before being placed
into service at Wilson,” he said.
Locomation’s ARC technology is more than platooning software. The
program identifies lanes within the carrier’s customer base where the technology
could be used, helping truck drivers to maximize efficiency. “Many
carriers find that 35% to 50% of their current load portfolio is suitable for
the ARC platform,” noted Spangenberg.
Potential savings are considerable. “We estimate that for a 500-mile
length of haul that might normally cost the carrier $1.71 per mile, our model,
including initial investment costs, brings that down to $1.46 per mile,” he
added. That 14.6% reduction in cost could be attractive in an industry with
razor-thin profit margins.
14 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | WWW.TRUCKLOAD.ORG TCA MAY/JUNE 2021