As you know, most of us are literary attached to our smartphones! So much so some drivers text or look at their phones while driving, just because we need to know that latest score, or what that celebrity just did to land in jail. To all of those who look or work on their phones while driving, it can wait!
But what if you did not have to worry about driving while in front of the wheel, and you could read a tablet, text your friends, or play a game on your device, while your car is driving, itself! Well, that scenario is coming soon, thanks to Mercedes-Benz. The car company revealed a smart truck on the German Autobahn system. In this video which was uploaded last week, it shows a smart truck driving down the A14, near the city of Magdeburg in Germany. The truck has what the company calls Highway Pilot, which enables it to drive completely autonomously at speeds of up to 85 km/h (52 mph).
The human driver is able to switch control of the truck to the vehicle’s embedded system and ride hands-free as a passenger. Yep, the driver can do whatever he wants, while the truck is driving itself. The Highway Pilot uses a combination of vehicle-to-vehicle communication via Wi-Fi, lateral radar on both sides of the truck, and full range and short-range radar mounted on the front of the truck. The truck also uses a front stereo camera, mounted just under its windshield. The company calls it the Future Truck 2025, and they hope to have trucks on the road with this technology by 2025.
Yes, I actually think we will see self-driving cars and trucks by 2025, mostly because more and more people are using their smartphones while driving, and they are demanding a way to get to point A to point B, without hiring another driver. So soon, we will be riding in cars that drives themselves, and I am excited and concerned at the same time. For now, watch the video demonstrating the Smart Truck below!
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Categories: Roadscapes Stuff
