Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - February 2024 - 20

INTENSIFYING
PURSUIT
AUTONOMOUS FEATURE
OF AUTONOMOUS TRUCKS
" Selecting the right lidar technology is a crucial strategic
decision to safely deploy autonomous trucks on the road. "
- Joanna Buttler, Daimler Truck
Aeva will supply its latest Atlas frequency modulated continuous
wave (FMCW) 4D lidar for the Cascadia platform and collaborate
with Torc to integrate the technology.
company integrates all key lidar components - including
transmitter, detector and a new optical processing
interface chip - onto a silicon photonics chip in a
compact module called Aeva CoreVision.
The new Aeva X1 system-on-chip processor integrates
data acquisition, point cloud processing, scanning
system and application software into a single
mixed-signal processing chip. The company claims
that its two new silicon innovations allow Atlas to be
over 70% smaller and consume four times less power
than its previous generation lidar sensor. These enhancements
enable operation without active cooling,
according to Aeva, and allow for integrations in-cabin
behind the windshield, on the vehicle's roofline or in
the grille.
Atlas reportedly delivers a 25% greater detection
range for low-reflectivity targets and a maximum detection
range of up to 500 meters (1,640 ft). The company
also claims that direct sunlight, signals from other
lidar sensors and retroreflective objects like street
signs will not interfere with its Atlas sensors.
Daimler Truck and Torc have worked closely with
Aeva engineers over the past few years to demonstrate
the lidar technology in real-world, highwayspeed
use cases. Aeva says that the selection for the
Cascadia autonomous-truck platform is its first major
OEM production design win.
Unlocking critical insights
The truck maker is working with early adopters in the
freight industry such as Schneider Inc. and C.R.
England to run autonomous pilots in the hub-to-hub
model. " It is essential that autonomous solutions are
developed together with the customer from the start, "
Buttler stated in her blog post.
20 February 2024
With 1,500 technical features built in and a second set of critical systems such as
steering, braking and cybersecurity, the Cascadia sets the industry standard for the
integration of autonomous driving systems, according to Daimler Truck.
The Atlas sensor is powered by the 4th-gen CoreVision lidar-on-chip module,
which uses silicon photonics instead of the optical fiber systems found in
conventional time-of-flight lidar sensors, and the Aeva X1 system-on-chip
processor designed with automotive-grade functional safety and cybersecurity.
In December 2023, Torc Robotics also announced a partnership
with Uber Freight to leverage the company's logistics network, which
represents $18 billion in active freight under management and more
than 100,000 digitally enabled carriers. The goal is to " unlock critical
insights and learnings " that will inform Torc's autonomous freight
network design and expansion strategy. These insights include which
lanes are optimal for deployment, how to prioritize the rollout of
lanes and various ODDs (operational design domains), balancing supply
and demand across supply chains with autonomous trucks, and
the management of autonomous loads with transfer hubs.
Buttler's conclusion: " I am convinced that autonomous trucks will enhance
everyday life. This technology will become reality within this decade
[and] has the potential to transform the transportation industry. "
TRUCK & OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: AEVA; DAIMLER TRUCK; AEVA
Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - February 2024

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