Robo Beer Run: Self-Driving Truck Delivers Budweiser

Nothing at all brings a party to a screeching halt like running low on alcohol. Well, rather than pleading your designated driver to go on a dark beer run, you could be able to call on a self-driving truck to keep the fridge stocked.

A self-driving truck, developed by the Uber-owned startup Otto, just lately made the first independent commercial delivery by traveling 120 miles (200 kilometers) across Colorado to deliver 2, 000 cases of Budweiser beer.

On March. 20, the truck left the Anheuser-Busch facility in Loveland, Colorado, and went itself on Interstate twenty-five through Denver -- along with regular car traffic -- to Colorado Springs. Regarding to Otto, a trained driver was in the truck constantly, but never had to intervene for the complete 120-mile stretch of interstate
Travis Kalanick, Uber's chief executive, has said he envisions a future in which transportation will involve both driver-controlled and driverless vehicles, reported The newest York Times. Uber obtained Otto, a San Francisco-based startup run by experts of Google's autonomous vehicle research, in August.

"I think the main things that computers are going to do in the next a decade is drive trucks and cars, " Anthony Levandowski, Otto co-founder, said in the company's video about the inaugural journey.

Even so, Otto is clear that while the truck is largely autonomous in conditions of driving, drivers it's still involved in the shipping. Walter Martin, the Otto truck driver on the Budweiser run, said in the video that man drivers are still essential for performing pickup, loading the freight and ensuring the cargo is secure in the back of the car. Drivers also navigate the location portions of the trip, Martin added.

"Then once you're on the interstate, one switch and it can driving itself down the road, " he said.
The National Highway Site visitors Safety Administration (NHTSA) categorizes self-driving cars by five different levels (ranging zero to 4) comprise the vehicle's autonomy. While Level 0 signifies no robotisation and the driver is within complete control, Level 4 represents full self-driving robotisation. The NHTSA said Level 4 vehicles should be "designed to perform all safety-critical driving functions and monitor roadway conditions for a complete trip. "

The Otto truck's capability is Level 4 while on the highway, because it is able to maintain distance between itself and other vehicles, and can change lanes when the system deems it necessary.

The idea of posting the trail with self-driving vehicles seems all but unavoidable, but some still question whether the technology has progressed enough to be safe. This coming year saw the first driverless car death, when a crash slain the driver of a Tesla Model S electric car while the vehicle was in self-driving method.

The Model S is not a true self-driving car, but Tesla's Hands-off feature is an aiding technology. In other words, computer software, sensors, video cameras and radar permit the car's Autopilot feature to complete tasks like joining onto a highway, but drivers are instructed to keep their hands on the wheel.

Otto's pickup truck driver, on the other hand, was from the driver's seat during the complete trip from Loveland to Co Springs. Levandowski said the business is focused on safety.

"Otto's technology is all about making the trail safer. Really like a train on software rails, " Levandowski said. "So when you will see a vehicle driving with nobody in it, you'll know that it's very unlikely to get in an impact. "