want to buy a self-driving car? big-rig trucks may come first - low cost laser distance sensor

SAN FRANCISCO —
Imagine, when a big-
The rig truck is closed behind you.
You relaxed because it kept a safe distance and seemed to comply with the speed limit.
Now imagine the truck driving by itself.
Despite Silicon Valley's passion for self
It may take a few years to drive a car before there will be many cars on the road.
But autonomouswheelers? One start-
BET is another thing at most. That start-
Otto, led by 15 former Google employees, including eight engineers.
Among its staff, there are major figures from Google.
Car and map project, its goal is long term
The Transportation Highway is an important part of the commercial truck transportation industry.
Engineers believe that automated trucks, not passenger cars, are likely to be more popular in the eyes of finance and regulators.
Across the country, trucks drive 5.
6% of the mileage of all vehicles, responsible for 9.
According to the Ministry of Transport, 5% of the highways died. Adding self-
Driving Technology
At least now.
Without the cash of a Silicon Valley tycoon, the price of a regular passenger car could be ridiculously expensive for anyone.
It wasn't until recently that the cost of laser sensors used on Google's car project was $75,000.
These costs are falling, but it will take a while for them to provide a realistic price for consumers.
But a new big tractor.
Trailers can easily cost more than $150,000, so the extra cost of the robot's functionality may make more sense.
In addition, it can improve the efficiency of truck transportation, for example, allowing a Force driver to rest in a sleeper compartment when the truck is driving.
Still, automated commercial driving is controversial. potentially —a job killer.
According to the American Trucking Association, there are more than 3 million truckers in the United States, and one out of every 15 workers in the country is employed in the trucking industry.
There is concern that if commercial trucking is fully automated, support for long-term prosperity will have devastating economic consequences for small towns in the United States
Trucking industry.
"Removing truck drivers from highways will have an impact on today's towns, similar to the impact that the highways themselves had on towns decades ago, the towns are in the middle of a road section bypassing the early Highway, independent researcher Scott Santens wrote in a blog post last year.
In recent years, self-driving cars have become one of the most popular projects in the technology industry.
Uber sees them as a way to stop dealing with annoying drivers.
Tesla, like other automakers, sees autonomous technology as an important safety feature to help human drivers.
Even Apple is believed to be working on some kind of self.
Driving car technology.
Google, in particular, actively advocates and develops self-driving technology,
Driving cars are often seen on the roads in the Bay Area.
Earlier this month, the company also announced an agreement with Fiat Chrysler to install its technology in a minivan fleet.
Since the creation of Otto by Google car and map veterans Anthony Levandoski and Lior Ron in January, the company has expanded to 41 employees and tested
Three Volvo trucks were driven over 10,000 miles.
Over the weekend, Otto tested himself.
Driving a truck in NevadaMr.
In 2004, when he was a graduate student in industrial engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, Levandoski received some celebrities.
He designed one himself.
Driving a gyro-stable motorcycle took part in the first self-driving car race at the Pentagon.
Later, he began
Up, 510 Systems, was acquired by Google when it started developing itself.
Car Project.
He said he decided to leave Google because he was eager to commercialize his products.
Drive the vehicle as soon as possible.
"Google is very focused on doing what they are doing and I think it's time to see something go public and I really like the idea of getting trucks to market," he said . ". Mr. Ron, Otto’s co-
It is also a senior founder of Google software engineers.
He has a background in the Israeli army intelligence unit, initially the chief engineer of Google Maps.
He also worked in Motorola's mobile phone business for three years and then worked on mysterious robotics. But start-
Up life doesn't work like Google on its idyllic Silicon Valley campus.
Otto opens his shop in a rickety car garage, near the highway entrance to the south near the San Francisco market.
But the new office has enough space to accommodate the company's three new Volvo Trucks, equipped with cameras, radar and rotating laser sensors called lidar.
It's basically the same array of sensors used on prototype cars that Google, Nissan, Baidu and others are developing. But Mr.
Levandoski says expensive commercial trucks give his designers more freedom to addQuality Sensor.
Otto will offer its technology as a long-term upgrade
The owner of the truck can purchase, or as a service that the truck driver can subscribe.
"Initially, we knew we could travel some roads more safely . "
Said Levandowski.
"On those roads, we will tell the driver, 'Welcome to take a nap or take a break now.
If it was 500 miles, it would be 10 hours and he would be able to rest completely. ”The co-
So far, the founders have declined to disclose their investment in the new company.
They will also only say that they intend to "show business feasibility as soon as possible ".
Despite the continuous advancement of Otto's technology, he still faces a maze of regulation and a lot of competition.
The beginning of Silicon Valley
To improve fuel efficiency, the up, known as Peloton, is focusing on the truck fleet.
Daimler trucks showed up in North America last year.
Driving a truck in Nevada
Volvo and other truck makers have also held highway self-driving demonstrations in Europe.
For example, the California motor vehicle regulations prohibit Otto from imagining a truck driving on a highway with only one sleeping driver in the cab.
But many states will allow such technological progress.
"Now, if you want to drive through Texas without driving, you're 100% legal," he said . "
As a Google engineer, Levandoski helped draft legislation that allowed him
Later became a driving vehicle for law in Nevada.
The original target of the company is the owner
Operator market
Truck drivers with their own rig can improve productivity by sleeping for a long time
Travel long distances and meet the needs of the second driver.
"It will take a long time for the transition of 3 million people," he said.
Levandoski says it refers to the number of American truck drivers.
"However, this is also the essence of progress.
There used to be elevator operators in New York City, and now there are no more.