“Yes, but how will it handle in the real world?” is the first question many truckers ask when they hear about the latest advancements in self-driving truck technology.
In order to prove the real-world viability of their technology, Chinese startup TuSimple has shared footage of one of their autonomous trucks taking on real world hazards like heavy rain, traffic, and a railroad crossing. Though there is a driver at the wheel, TuSimple points out that there are “zero disengagements” during the filmed run.
The Beijing-based company has its U.S. headquarters in San Diego. They say that they have been “testing [their] hub-to-hub SAE L4 self-driving truck fleet in Arizona days and nights for months.”
The company was founded in 2015 and their mission is to get drivers out of trucks. “If we succeed, about 15 million truck drivers in China and the US will be initially freed from their strenuous and dangerous work,” says company co-founder Chen Mo.
Take a look at their ride through stormy weather below.