The Shout Magazine (New Zealand)

Self-driving truck transports trailer-load of beer

rsz_truck

Youtube.

An American Uber-owned start-up company of self-driving trucks has successfully transported a trailer-load of beer 200kms, without anyone at the wheel.

The company, Otto, in partnership with American brewing company, Anheuser-Busch, hauled 51,744 cans of Budweiser by using cameras, radar, and lidar sensors mounted on the vehicle to “see” the road.

According to Otto’s blog, their system controlled the acceleration, braking, and steering of the truck to carry the beer exit-to-exit without any human intervention.

“In fact, our professional driver was out of the driver’s seat for the entire 120-mile journey down I-25, monitoring the self-driving system from the sleeper berth in the back,” it says.

Otto says that with their vehicles, truck drivers will have the opportunity to rest during long stretches of highway while the truck continues to drive.

“When you’ll see a truck driving down the road with nobody in the front seat, you’ll know that it’s highly unlikely to get into a collision, drive aggressively, or waste a single drop of fuel,” says the blog.

Otto says Budweiser was the perfect fit for this historic milestone as the brand has made an impact on safe driving and reducing carbon emissions.