Daimler AG held a demonstration in Magdeburg, Germany Thursday for a prototype of a self-driving truck.
The automaker said the truck, called the Mercedes-Benz Future Truck, can respond to traffic while driving completely autonomously and can reach speeds of up to 52 miles per hour, according to the New York Times. The truck is expected to be released in 2025.
"The Future Truck 2025 leads to more efficiency, and better safety and connectivity," said Wolfgang Bernhard, the head of Daimler Trucks. "This in turn results in a more sustainable transport system to the benefit of the economy, society and customers."
The prototype was demonstrated at Daimler's "Shaping Future Transportation 2014" conference on Thursday, Better Roads Magazine reported. The company said the "truck autopilot" system doesn't take the driving role away from humans, but instead gives the motorist of "transport manager." It added that once the new system is complete and can be used in the real world, it will provide drivers with an "attractive mobile workplace offering scope for new professional skills."
The truck is a Mercedes Actros tractor-trailer that includes radar sensors and forward-facing cameras that scan the road in front of the driver. Other sensors are included to track areas to the back and sides of the truck, giving the system a complete view of the vehicle's surroundings. Daimler said the sensors can recognize the road edge by marker lines, as well as detect guardrails and vegetation so it can figure out the course of the road surface.
The system, called Highway Pilot, also lets the truck communicate with the infrastructure by using traffic control centers, which keep track of vehicle flow and adjusting traffic signals to prevent traffic, increase car flow and open up additional lanes.
After giving control of the truck to Highway Pilot, the driver can rotate his seat to the passenger side of the truck or recline in the rest position, and can also use his/her tablet to talk to people or work on other tasks. Drivers can also take back control of the vehicle - an alarm system is included that warns them before reaching a highway exit that they need to grab the wheel.
There is currently only one prototype for Daimler's truck, according to the New York Times. The automaker declined to disclose the price of the Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025.
