Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

newsworthy

Unmanned trucks could drive highways by 2025, study says

Frost & Sullivan report says technology is on pace.

Semiautomated truck caravans could be plying American highways by 2020—and completely unmanned trucks could join them by 2025—if technology continues to evolve at current rates, according to a study by the consulting firm Frost & Sullivan.

These driver-assisted—or eventually driverless—trucks could help logistics and fleet-management professionals deliver valuable loads with lower costs and improved safety, thanks to faster reaction time for collision-avoidance situations, the firm said.


However, planners face several challenges first, such as installing sensors and networks into a "smart driving environment" and developing reliable vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications, according to the report titled "The Future of Mobile Robots in Logistics."

"All of this is a possible reality because we are seeing a lot of development in deploying intelligent traffic management systems," Archana Vidyasekar, the team lead for Frost & Sullivan's Visionary Innovation Research Group, said in a webcast last week. "We're seeing cities and urban areas taking concrete steps toward creating some sort of essential operating platform to control every aspect of the city, especially traffic and vehicles."

The foundation for autonomous trucks is being laid in warehouses as logistics companies find increasing applications for robots, she said. Current examples include the automated guided vehicles (AGVs) seen following preset magnetic tracks through many warehouses and the bright-orange drive units made for Amazon.com Inc.'s distribution centers by Kiva Systems, the company Amazon acquired in 2012 for $775 million and recently rebranded as Amazon Robotics.

Most current autonomous truck applications operate at the semiautomated grade, the first of three automation levels, Vidyasekar said. This "level one" semiautomation relies on familiar 21st-century automotive technology such as keyless entry, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), electric power steering, braking systems, parking brakes, and throttle control.

Highly automated "level-two" vehicles will add a suite of capabilities, such as redundant computer backup to ensure network connectivity, basic self-driving capability, and adaptive cruise control that could slow down the vehicle when its intersection assistance program detects merging traffic lanes.

Several companies are experimenting with using level-two automation. These include the fleet of Google Inc. cars navigating the streets of Mountain View, Calif., and the "Freightliner Inspiration Truck," a self-steering 18-wheeler prototype unveiled in May by Daimler Trucks North America LLC. Caravans of these level-two trucks could be cruising U.S. roads as soon as 2020, using vehicle-to-vehicle communications and radar-based active braking systems to follow one another very closely.

To ensure safe operations, the entire chain of trucks could stop very quickly because they would all apply their brakes automatically the instant the lead vehicle detected any sort of collision or obstacle—slowing down more quickly than human perception and reaction time allow, Frost & Sullivan says.

The final step will be "level-three" automation, relying on a fully autonomous vehicle that is capable of performing all trucking functions without a human on board at any point.

"For level three to work, we need not only the vehicle technology but also the communication networks to talk to each other, with a convergence of vehicle technologies like assisted driving with vehicle-to-vehicle communication infrastructure," Vidyasekar said in the webcast.

This full autonomy could be achieved in 10-15 years if current trends continue. Those trends include sophisticated vehicle technologies, the communication infrastructure, the availability of geographic information systems (GIS), and wireless connectivity.

"If there is a clear path for these technologies to develop and for these driving assistance systems to merge with these infrastructure systems, I think automated trucks and automated fleet-management systems could very well be a reality," Vidyasekar said.

The Latest

More Stories

person using AI at a laptop

Gartner: GenAI set to impact procurement processes

Progress in generative AI (GenAI) is poised to impact business procurement processes through advancements in three areas—agentic reasoning, multimodality, and AI agents—according to Gartner Inc.

Those functions will redefine how procurement operates and significantly impact the agendas of chief procurement officers (CPOs). And 72% of procurement leaders are already prioritizing the integration of GenAI into their strategies, thus highlighting the recognition of its potential to drive significant improvements in efficiency and effectiveness, Gartner found in a survey conducted in July, 2024, with 258 global respondents.

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

Report: SMEs hopeful ahead of holiday peak

Report: SMEs hopeful ahead of holiday peak

Businesses are cautiously optimistic as peak holiday shipping season draws near, with many anticipating year-over-year sales increases as they continue to battle challenging supply chain conditions.

That’s according to the DHL 2024 Peak Season Shipping Survey, released today by express shipping service provider DHL Express U.S. The company surveyed small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to gauge their holiday business outlook compared to last year and found that a mix of optimism and “strategic caution” prevail ahead of this year’s peak.

Keep ReadingShow less
retail store tech AI zebra

Retailers plan tech investments to stop theft and loss

Eight in 10 retail associates are concerned about the lack of technology deployed to spot safety threats or criminal activity on the job, according to a report from Zebra Technologies Corp.

That challenge is one of the reasons that fewer shoppers overall are satisfied with their shopping experiences lately, Lincolnshire, Illinois-based Zebra said in its “17th Annual Global Shopper Study.”th Annual Global Shopper Study.” While 85% of shoppers last year were satisfied with both the in-store and online experiences, only 81% in 2024 are satisfied with the in-store experience and just 79% with online shopping.

Keep ReadingShow less
warehouse automation systems

Cimcorp's new CEO sees growth in grocery and tire segments

Logistics automation systems integrator Cimcorp today named company insider Veli-Matti Hakala as its new CEO, saying he will cultivate growth in both the company and its clientele, specifically in the grocery retail and tire plant logistics sectors.

An eight-year veteran of the Georgia company, Hakala will begin his new role on January 1, when the current CEO, Tero Peltomäki, will retire after a long and noteworthy career, continuing as a member of the board of directors, Cimcorp said.

Keep ReadingShow less

Securing the last mile

Although many shoppers will return to physical stores this holiday season, online shopping remains a driving force behind peak-season shipping challenges, especially when it comes to the last mile. Consumers still want fast, free shipping if they can get it—without any delays or disruptions to their holiday deliveries.

One disruptor that gets a lot of headlines this time of year is package theft—committed by so-called “porch pirates.” These are thieves who snatch parcels from front stairs, side porches, and driveways in neighborhoods across the country. The problem adds up to billions of dollars in stolen merchandise each year—not to mention headaches for shippers, parcel delivery companies, and, of course, consumers.

Keep ReadingShow less