On-board OEM truck technology continues to push the boundaries, as truck maker’s leverage advanced new technological developments around wireless and GPS systems.
Last year DIESELtalk reported on a technology under development known as ‘platooning’, http://www.dieseltalk.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1756:intelligent-transport-technologies-on-way&catid=34:associations&Itemid=53 .
Platooning involves a number of automatically driven trucks, which follow a ‘lead’ vehicle (that has a driver). Scania and Volvo are at the forefront of this technology, which has the potential to dramatically change commercial road transport.
A recent trial at Scania’s Södertälje test track, involved two trucks driven in tight formation, reaching speeds close to 90 kilometres per hour and separated by just 10 metres.
Under ordinary circumstances a tail-end collision would most likely have ensued, but these platoon trucks – fitted with advanced radar, wireless, and on-board computer – accurately and immediately detected the situation, reducing speed and applying brakes without driver recourse to react or to touch the pedal.
Scania’s automated truck driving system has been popularly dubbed platooning.
Assad Alam, lead project researcher says: “The system allows heavy vehicles to form fuel-efficient, aerodynamic formations on motorways and convoy trucks will automatically follow a lead truck, cutting fuel use by as much as 15% and reducing drivers’ workloads.
“It’s a bit like the military, where everyone walks in a line,” Alam says. “The leader yells ‘halt’ and everyone stops, or yells ‘turn left’ and everyone turns left.”
The technology is being developed in a partnership between Scania and two Swedish universities, Stockholm’s Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and Linköpings University (LiU), stemming from Alam’s original doctoral research.
Alam says the parallel approach between Scania and the universities has benefits. “Academia helps us refine our approach to solving the challenges thrown up, but it is also good for the universities to develop practical solutions to relevant problems. By providing these types of practical projects Scania is also attracting more engineers, which is a long-term goal of ours,” says Alam.
Research team member Per Svennerbrandt, studying master’s in applied physics and electrical engineering at LiU, says working at Scania has been positive. “It’s valuable to test solutions for real world problems – it forces you to think bigger about a solution to a real problem.”
The prototype system uses vehicles equipped with a Wi-Fi system, GPS, an electronic control unit and sophisticated computer.
The system is still in development but the aim is make each platoon vehicle ‘aware’ of those around it, to allow drivers to temporarily hand over control to the system. Alam says the system could ultimately pave the way for ‘driverless’ trucks.
