We are not far behind the time you see trucks that can take care of its own, reducing the burden on the driver. The HAVE IT project started in 2008 with around 20 companies  to make future trucks more intelligent. There arises the concept of a virtual driver which takes over when driver loses control. It should also communicate with the driver while moving. The project has 28 Million Euros at its disposal to achieve the concept successfully. At present, two trucks are undergoing a digital transformation at Volvo Technology. One is primarily focused on safety while the other is on environmental aspects. In simple words, the goal is to reduce accidents associated with trucks by building an eye on it so that it can detect the vehicle in its front. Volvo, which is one of the powerhouses in the truck segment, leads the way.

A recent study by European truck accident causation on the causes of truck accidents has shown that the majority of it is through situations like traffic queue as the truck hits the vehicle in front of it. Other reasons are road-works, unfavorable weather, deviating from lane etc that increases the chances for accidents. So the development of the co-driver concept for trucks deals such stressful situations for the driver. Lots of research have been happening in this regard. The general conception is to insert external sensors that assess the traffic environment, road and climatic conditions, lane markings etc. Thus, the vehicle has to observe its physical surroundings thereby reducing the burden on the driver. Another prominent pre-requisite is to take control of the vehicle when needed. Proper communication between the driver and the system is also a necessity.

The safety truck development aims at developing intelligence systems to assist the driver during stressful conditions. The first situation is heavy traffic queues and low-speed drive. Project at Volvo technology is aiming to develop a truck that stops automatically as the vehicle in front stops. Present systems do not have the ability of braking it works down only to 18 kmph approximately. The second objective of queue support system is helping the truck to maintain its lane and prevent crossing. The system aims at developing an totally automated process which requires no acknowledgment from the driver. Present system follows an alarm system on which the driver has to respond. Additional benefits of the system includes, reduced fuel consumption and improved-driving habits for the driver. This is implemented using nine sensors installed on the safety truck, an object camera above the windscreen, a lane camera, a camera to check driver’s status, two radars on either side of the truck, and lasers. Vehicle to vehicle communication system and GPS based system to identify the physical surroundings are also included.

The basic concept and aim has already been mentioned. The method of implementation is the challenge in front of the team. The process of communication between the driver and the system, method of voice commands and signaling should also be standardized. System must be smart to know when the driver gets annoyed. The second type is environmental truck which must be able to manage the use of a hybrid engine by optimizing the use of the combustion engine, electric motor and proper gear ratio.

The product coordinators all around are hoping that the concept of virtual co-driver becomes a success and this technology can be made into production by 2012. By around 2020, we will probably see a whole new world with intelligent trucks all around.