Aurora Tests Driverless Trucks For Nighttime Delivery

A driverless cargo truck navigates a winding mountain road at night, showcasing the future of autonomous transportation under the glow of its headlights. Credit: Unsplash.

Aurora Innovation is testing driverless trucks at night, thanks to advanced LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) sensors, capable of detecting objects nearly 500 yards away, EVEN in darkness. Nighttime driving cuts delivery times by avoiding traffic and doubling truck utilization. These autonomous trucks can drive almost nonstop, unlike human-driven vehicles limited by mandatory breaks. However, some challenges do stand in the way of this innovation, like navigating diverse state regulations, building depots for autonomous vehicles, and ensuring profitability. Aurora's CEO, Chris Urmson, says, "This progress could transform the trillion-dollar [trucking] industry." Is it true? We'll have to wait and see. Self-driving trucks would also have to learn to avoid collisions with road-crossing wildlife, particularly at night when visibility is limited. These animals can be small and unpredictable, making them much harder to anticipate than cars or objects.

This new project clearly has considerable potential. It would make transporting goods easier and safer than ever.