The system is a street capable GPS autopilot that Bill Kahn, principal engineer for Peterbilt, says is accurate to within 5 centimeters.
“It’s the stepping stone to autonomous driving,” he says.
The truck uses a sophisticated camera system to guide and center itself within the lane, but the software is also capable of learning a route when such markers are absent.
While the truck can adjust its own speed, detect objects in its path and navigate itself toward its destination, Kahn says the outfitted Model 579 test unit – which would be classified as a Level 3 autonomous vehicle – is far from an autonomous truck.
“It still needs the capability to sense what is going on around it,” he says of future evolutions in autonomous driving. “… to know when to change lanes, know what’s going on up ahead … and those type things.”
