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Freightliner Inspiration Truck – the first
licensed autonomous driving truck in the US
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Freightliner Inspiration Truck with Highway Pilot becomes world´s
first autonomous truck to be granted a license for road use in the
State of Nevada
Highway Pilot with intelligent sensors and stereo camera in operation
on American roads
Daimler Trucks underlines yet again its leadership role in
autonomous driving
Las Vegas/Stuttgart – The Freightliner Inspiration Truck with Highway Pilot
system is the world's first autonomous truck to be granted a license for
road use in the State of Nevada. In July last year Daimler Trucks provided
the world's first demonstration of an autonomous truck in action when the
Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025 drove along a cordoned-off section of
the A14 autobahn near Magdeburg. The Inspiration Truck is now the next
milestone on the road to series production of the Highway Pilot system. The
development engineers of Daimler Trucks transfered the system to the US
brand Freightliner and modified it for use on American highways. The result:
the State of Nevada certified no less than two Freightliner Inspiration Trucks
for regular operations on public roads.
Highway Pilot in operation on American roads
With the Freightliner Inspiration Truck, Daimler Trucks has once more
succeeded in implementing the latest innovations across all business units
and brands. The Freightliner Inspiration Truck is based on the seriesproduced US Freightliner Cascadia model, but with the addition of the
Highway Pilot technology. The latter comprises a front radar and a stereo
camera plus tried and tested assistance systems such as the Adaptive
Cruise Control, as seen in the standard Freightliner Cascadia models and
the Mercedes-Benz Actros. For licensing on public roads in Nevada, the
technology was further developed and the excellent interaction of components extensively tested. As part of the truck´s so-called Marathon Run, the
Daimler Communications, 70546 Stuttgart, Germany
May 5, 2015
Freightliner Inspiration Truck covered over 10,000 miles (over 16,000
kilometers) on a test circuit in Papenburg, Germany.
Despite the common technologies, the Freightliner Inspiration Truck,
the Mercedes-Benz Future Truck as well as the standard vehicles of both
brands are independent vehicle concepts which are adapted to the
appropriate market and set of demands.
How the Freightliner Inspiration Truck works
As soon as the Freightliner Inspiration Truck is safely on the highway, the
driver can activate the Highway Pilot system. The driver receives a visual
prompt in the instrument cluster to activate the "Highway Pilot." The vehicle
switches to autonomous mode and adapts to the speed of traffic. The driver
receives a confirmation message in the instrument cluster, "Highway Pilot
active."
The Highway Pilot system uses a complex stereo camera and radar systems
with lane-keeping and collision-prevention functions. It regulates the speed,
applies the brakes and steers. This combination of systems creates an
autonomous vehicle that can operate safely under a wide range of driving
conditions – the truck automatically complies with posted speed limits,
regulates the distance from the vehicle ahead or uses the stop-and-go
function during rush hour.
The Highway Pilot system does not initiate autonomous passing maneuvers.
These have to be executed by the driver. The same is true for leaving the
highway and changing lanes. Via the user interface the Highway Pilot keeps
the driver visually informed about its current status and accepts
instructions. The driver can deactivate the Highway Pilot manually and is
able to override the system at any time. If the vehicle is no longer able to
process crucial aspects of its environment, e.g. due to road construction or
bad weather, the driver is prompted to retake control. In addition to a visual
prompt in the instrument cluster there is also a subsequent audible notification.
The technology of the Inspiration Truck
A radar unit centered in the front bumper of the Freightliner Inspiration
Truck monitors the road at close and long range. The long-range sensor
goes out to about 820 feet (250 meters) at an aperture angle of 18 degrees
and detects vehicles in a long and narrow area. The short-range sensor goes
out to about 230 feet (70 meters) at an aperture angle of 130 degrees and
detects vehicles in a wider area that could merge into the lane in front of
the truck. The front radar unit forms the basis for the Adaptive Cruise
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Control system and the Active Brake Assist system, which are already familiar from the Mercedes-Benz Actros and the Detroit Assurance™ series of
safety systems in the series production model of the Freightliner Cascadia
Evolution.
The area in front of the truck is also monitored by a stereo camera mounted
above the dashboard on the inside of the windshield. The camera has a
range of about 100 meters (328 feet) and aperture angles of 45 degrees
horizontally and 27 degrees vertically. The camera recognizes pavement
markings and communicates with the steering gear of the Highway Pilot
system to keep the truck in its lane autonomously.
The Adaptive Cruise Control system of the Freightliner Inspiration Truck
uses the same hardware and software as the series production variants of
the Mercedes-Benz Actros and Freightliner Cascadia Evolution. The system
receives the same input signals within the identical range of values and
comprises the same functions and safety features. The use of the standard
system ensures that the acceleration and braking maneuvers controlled by
the Highway Pilot system are always within the limits of the production
vehicle. The active power steering system uses the same hardware as the
production vehicles, however, the software has been modified. The system
offers the same functions and safety features as the system in the series
production vehicle.
The steering gear installed in the Freightliner Inspiration Truck has already
been proven on the road in Mercedes-Benz trucks since 2011. The camera
of the Lane Keeping Assist system has already completed more than 50,000
miles (80,000 kilometers) of testing and has been used in all MercedesBenz Advanced Engineering projects since 2008. Testing of the front radar
unit also began in 2008 and since then it has successfully completed more
than 2 million miles (3 million kilometers) in series production and in tests
at Mercedes-Benz Cars and Daimler Trucks.
Design
The extraordinary exterior of the Freightliner Inspiration Truck is dominated
by the hood design, which overlaps the usual radiator grille. The hood can
be pushed forward and tilted for opening. The door skins are shaped to
perfectly blend with the lines of the front end. The side panels were redesigned to form a single unit with the hood and the wheel arches. The
wheel arches themselves have been optimized aerodynamically and have a
dynamic design.
The exterior lighting of the Inspiration Truck is a true eye-catcher and
completely new: the license plate, indicators and the radiator grille shine
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blue as soon as the vehicle is in autonomous mode, and white and yellow
while in standard operation. The unusual headlamps continue the design
idiom of the hood.
A special feature in the interior are the bench seats, which were installed
specifically for the driving event of the Freightliner Inspiration Truck
premiere. In addition, halogen lighting in the interior creates a pleasant,
cozy atmosphere.
Leadership role in autonomous driving
After the Cascadia Evolution Truck and the SuperTruck, the Inspiration
Truck represents the third demonstration of the consistent way in which the
Freightliner Trucks technology strategy has developed in the USA. As a
global commercial vehicle manufacturer Daimler is demonstrating how intelligent technologies can be rolled out across Group brands within the
shortest time frame. Daimler Trucks’ worldwide platform strategy in
particular allows economies of scale to be made.
A look at the technical systems that will be required for autonomous driving
in the future and a comparison with the components in use in today's
passenger cars and commercial vehicles show that Daimler – with its
Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner Trucks, Detroit Diesel and Fuso brands – is already in a leading position today. No other company has the combined
power from the commercial vehicles and passenger cars sectors in this
field. In doing so, the Group secures comprehensive know-how to optimally
develop autonomous vehicles for highway traffic. In the field of commercial
vehicles, the Highway Pilot system is the only one in the world to feature
the kind of sensor and camera technology that makes operation of the
Freightliner Inspiration Truck possible – from initial acceleration to the
speed limit for trucks. With this, Freightliner Trucks presents the most innovative product with the highest degree of automation for the USA.
Truckers and the autonomous vehicle
In terms of on-highway commercial trucks, it is incorrect to refer to a vehicle in autonomous mode as a driverless truck. Drivers remain the boss in
their vehicle because the technology developed as part of the Freightliner
Inspiration Truck requires the presence of a qualified truck driver with valid
commercial driver's license in the cab and on the gauges. The driver is an
important part of the system and must remain in control of the truck in
certain traffic situations on the highway and on country roads, in city traffic
and when hooking up a trailer or making deliveries.
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Autonomous driving relieves drivers from tiring and often monotonous longdistance routes, which today represents a major part of their workload. At
the same time, drivers gain time for other tasks and for communicating with
their environment. It is conceivable that drivers will take over tasks that
today are the domain of the dispatcher or that benefit social contact.
Owner-operators in particular can get their office work done conveniently
while on the road.
Taking on other tasks will significantly change the trucker job. This will
create career opportunities for drivers to become transport managers. The
trucker job will become more attractive – autonomous driving is therefore a
clear response to the existing driver shortage. Autonomous driving will fuse
truck and driver into a team more than ever, and into a meaningful, effective
and highly economical combination of man and machine.
Autonomous trucks offer a host of advantages
The autonomously driving truck will increase fuel efficiency, improve traffic
safety and reduce CO2 emissions. Tests by Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner
Trucks indicate that autonomous driving will cut fuel consumption by up to
five percent. This data was corroborated by a recent Frost & Sullivan study,
which found that an autonomously driving heavy-duty truck can achieve a
savings potential of up to seven percent on average, while fuel consumption
in regional transport would be reduced by four percent. Frost & Sullivan also
reached the conclusion that autonomously driving trucks will lower
maintenance costs for transport companies, for example, as the result of
less wear on the vehicle components due to a more constant flow of traffic.
Because autonomous vehicles will be connected to their environment and
other road users to such an extent that they will avoid areas with heavy
traffic, they will also be able to contribute to reducing traffic jams on
highways. The traffic of the future will flow more smoothly and be more
predictable. Traffic systems will become more flexible, and the
infrastructure will be utilized better. Transport companies will operate more
profitably and more flexibly.
Traffic on long-distance routes that is predictable for all road users last but
not least also means more safety for all parties involved. Assistance
systems already regulate the speed today and in an emergency initiate
autonomous braking to avoid an accident. Both have been proven effective
for years. Autonomous driving represents the perfecting of the technology
as the result of the fusion of the assistance systems. Safety regulations
such as a safe following distance or speed limits are always complied with
correctly. Anticipatory driving, a recurring theme in driver training, is programmed safety and economic efficiency for the Inspiration Truck.
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Initial research findings of Daimler Trucks clearly show
autonomous driving takes the strain of truck drivers
Daimler Trucks has studied the influence of autonomous driving on the
driver's attentiveness in the truck cab during the trip. For this purpose, a
project team from Daimler Group Research conducted scientific studies of
drivers on a closed test circuit.
Each of 16 participants drove a truck with Highway Pilot system and two
different conventional trucks for four hours without a break by himself. EEG
and ECG measurements were taken during the four-hour drive.
Electroencephalography (EEG) is an examination method from neurology
that provides a general picture of current brain activity, including the level
of attention. An electrocardiogram (ECG) records the electrical activity of
the heart and provides information about the driver's current physical
stress. This method made it possible to determine the level of fatigue of the
test subjects. Of the participating drivers, 12 had no previous experience
with an autonomously driving truck. However, after the drives
they
stated that they had grown accustomed to the Highway Pilot quickly and
confirmed that this system made driving considerably easier.
The results of the studies show that a driver is more attentive and consequently able to perform better if the use of the Highway Pilot system
allows him to also do other jobs instead of having to perform monotonous
driving-related tasks. With the help of the objective brainwave measurement
(EEG), it was possible to prove that drowsiness was reduced by 25 percent
when the truck operated in autonomous mode and the test subject performed interesting secondary tasks (e.g. on a tablet computer). The drivers
were also asked subjective questions about their level of fatigue. These results also indicate that drivers are more alert and more attentive while
driving in autonomous mode. In this way, it was possible to prove that the
technology in the Freightliner Inspiration Truck leads to drivers who are
considerably more concentrated. This not least translates into more safety
for all road users.
Contacts:
Uta Leitner, + 49 711 17-5 30 58, [email protected]
Carola Pfeifle, + 49 711 17-5 35 51, [email protected]
Details about the Freightliner Inspiration Truck can be found online at:
www.freightlinerinspiration.com
Images of the world premiere are soon available for download:
http://daimler-cv-pressmaterial.de/dir/Freightliner_Inspiration_Truck_USA_2015/
Daimler Communications, 70546 Stuttgart, Germany
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Further information about Daimler is available online:
www.media.daimler.com and www.daimler.com
About Daimler
Daimler AG is one of the world’s most successful automotive companies. With its business divisions MercedesBenz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services, the automaker is
one of the largest vendors of premium cars and the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles with a
global footprint. Daimler Financial Services provides financing, leasing, fleet management, insurance, capital
investments and credit cards as well as innovative mobility services.
The company’s founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history with the invention of the automobile in the
year 1886. As a pioneer of automotive engineering, Daimler continues to shape the future of mobility today: the
company’s focus is on innovative and green technologies as well as on safe and high-quality automobiles that
fascinate and delight its customers. Daimler invests continually in the development of alternative drive systems –
from hybrid vehicles to all-electric vehicles powered by battery or fuel cell – with the goal of making emission-free
driving possible in the long term. In addition, the company vigorously pursues the goal of accident-free driving and
intelligent networking including autonomous driving. Daimler considers meeting its responsibility towards society
and the environment a standard and an obligation.
Daimler sells its vehicles and services in nearly all the countries of the world and has production facilities in
Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa.
Its brand portfolio includes, in addition to the world’s most valuable premium automotive brand, Mercedes-Benz,
as well as Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes-Maybach, the brands smart, Freightliner, Western Star, BharatBenz,
FUSO, Setra, Thomas Built Buses, and the brands of Daimler Financial Services: Mercedes-Benz Bank, MercedesBenz Financial, Daimler Truck Financial, moovel and car2go. The company is listed on the stock exchanges of
Frankfurt and Stuttgart (stock exchange symbol DAI).In 2014, the Group sold 2.5 million vehicles and employed a
workforce of 279,972 people. Revenue totaled €129.9 billion and EBIT amounted to €10.8 billion.
Daimler Communications, 70546 Stuttgart, Germany
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