Photo: Kratos
Operational autonomy is the natural evolution of vehicles. Whether we like it or not, cars, trucks, SUVs and cargo haulers will soon be able to cover the distance between points A and B on their own, eliminating the need for human drivers. And that has the potential of making our roads safer and our travels cheaper.
In the case of personal vehicles operational autonomy will probably mean machines packed to the teeth with sensors, cameras, and various types of radars that will allow them to navigate the complex environment that is the world's road network. And that's mostly what will happen with cargo-hauling trucks as well, even if it's not the only way these vehicles can go about their autonomous business.
You may be familiar with the name Kratos from the defense industry. The company makes all sorts of hardware and software for military applications, and focuses first and foremost on unmanned systems.
One such a system is something called the Leader-Follower Platoon, a technology that allows one vehicle to operate itself based on the information it receives from a lead vehicle. And it's exactly this technology that will be put to civilian use by the end of the year on the roads of Ohia and Indiana.
The announcement was made this week after Kratos struck a deal with EASE Logistics, a company in the business of moving cargo for the automotive, aerospace, food and beverage, and manufacturing businesses.
Because EASE, like most other logistic companies in the U.S., is facing a serious driver shortage, going for autonomous trucks seems like the logical step to take. And the company will take it by the end of the year by deploying two Leader-Follower Platoon in the two American states.
More to the point a pair of Class 8 tractors and trailers will be fitted with the Kratos self-driving technology. The lead truck will be driven in a conventional fashion by a human, while the one following it will drive itself based on navigation and command data sent to it by the lead.
For the time being, even if the follower will drive on its own accord, an EASE driver will be on board, ready to take over the controls if anything is to go wrong. The drivers in both trucks have been extensively trained to operate the military-grade systems that will be installed in the trucks.
The trucks will start operating by the end of the year along an undisclosed major trucking corridor linking the two states, becoming part of the non-stop supply chain. It is the first time in history that something like this has been attempted on public roads, and the trucks will have to cover round-trip distances of up to 500 miles (805 km).
You may be familiar with the name Kratos from the defense industry. The company makes all sorts of hardware and software for military applications, and focuses first and foremost on unmanned systems.
One such a system is something called the Leader-Follower Platoon, a technology that allows one vehicle to operate itself based on the information it receives from a lead vehicle. And it's exactly this technology that will be put to civilian use by the end of the year on the roads of Ohia and Indiana.
The announcement was made this week after Kratos struck a deal with EASE Logistics, a company in the business of moving cargo for the automotive, aerospace, food and beverage, and manufacturing businesses.
Because EASE, like most other logistic companies in the U.S., is facing a serious driver shortage, going for autonomous trucks seems like the logical step to take. And the company will take it by the end of the year by deploying two Leader-Follower Platoon in the two American states.
More to the point a pair of Class 8 tractors and trailers will be fitted with the Kratos self-driving technology. The lead truck will be driven in a conventional fashion by a human, while the one following it will drive itself based on navigation and command data sent to it by the lead.
For the time being, even if the follower will drive on its own accord, an EASE driver will be on board, ready to take over the controls if anything is to go wrong. The drivers in both trucks have been extensively trained to operate the military-grade systems that will be installed in the trucks.
The trucks will start operating by the end of the year along an undisclosed major trucking corridor linking the two states, becoming part of the non-stop supply chain. It is the first time in history that something like this has been attempted on public roads, and the trucks will have to cover round-trip distances of up to 500 miles (805 km).
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