Uber driverless truck unveiled with new sensors

inductance

Uber recently released a set of photos and the latest videos about the autopilot test trucks, which showcase the look and feel of the new sensor combination. This set of driverless test sensors is embedded in the roof of the truck and is more seamlessly integrated with the exterior of the truck.

On the roof of the truck, we saw a new design, a rotating 64-channel lidar sensor, which proves that the truck has a more complex autonomous driving system than before.

More notably, Uber has removed the Otto brand logo from the truck, and this practice confirms that Uber quietly gave up the name Otto after a trademark dispute with a Canadian company. The latter is a company that produces self-driving cars for warehouses and industrial facilities.

In an interview, Uber's product director Alden Woodrow said that the technology update was not caused by a lawsuit between Uber and Waymo. The laser radar used in the new design is a ready-made device, not in Uber. Re-developed within the advanced technology team.

Woodrow said the 64-direction rotating lidar array can help Uber improve data collection. “This really improves the ability of trucks to capture data, so it can build a very high-quality point cloud in the surrounding environment, so it helps the software system make better decisions, and it’s in,” he said. The best time."

And that doesn't necessarily push Uber to achieve the goal of fully autonomous vehicles right away, at least in California's regulated area. Currently, Uber has tested autopilots on public roads without permission, in violation of California's autopilot regulations. Since then, DMV has said that it has contacted Uber and reviewed Uber's technology, and that Uber's system is not yet powerful enough to require a license.

"DMV and the California Highway Patrol conducted a field trip to Uber on June 6 and conducted a field assessment of the technology," said a DMV spokesman. The company's technology is still only a two-level automatic driving system, and the currently developing system does not comply with the autopilot technology prescribed by California law.

“Secondary Autopilot” refers to the level at which the driver needs to put his hand on the steering wheel and put his foot on the brake pedal, and still needs to have control over the car and always needs to take over.

This year, Uber's autonomous driving technology suffered a lot of setbacks. From the lawsuit against Wyamo, to the dismissal or separation of several top engineers and senior managers. However, Uber still said that he is actively developing autonomous vehicles and is hiring Raquel Urtason, a professor of computer science at the University of Toronto, who is responsible for the advanced technology development center for new components. Last year, the company successfully used a self-driving truck to transport a batch of Budweiser beer in Colorado.

Currently in the field of autonomous driving, Uber faces very fierce competition, the main opponent is Waymo. The beleaguered car sharing service company recently launched the Uber freight service, which helps shippers connect with truck drivers.