A Mercedes Benz 'Actros' truck equipped with an autonomous control system has successfully driven itself from Stuttgart to a smaller town not far away, where Daimler-Benz's headquarters is located.
The truck has a human driver on board, ready to take over if anything goes wrong, in accordance with German law.
Apparently Daimler is nearing production of these optionally autonomous trucks. They are billing the control system as something analogous to an airplane's autopilot. If the control system becomes confused, it prompts the human driver to take over. If the human doesn't take control, the truck is programmed to pull over and stop itself.
http://news.yahoo.com/daimler-tests-self...36272.html
The truck has a human driver on board, ready to take over if anything goes wrong, in accordance with German law.
Apparently Daimler is nearing production of these optionally autonomous trucks. They are billing the control system as something analogous to an airplane's autopilot. If the control system becomes confused, it prompts the human driver to take over. If the human doesn't take control, the truck is programmed to pull over and stop itself.
http://news.yahoo.com/daimler-tests-self...36272.html