An independent subsidiary company of Daimler Truck has taken a huge step in its goals of a 2027 commercial launch for its autonomous driving technology with the successfully completed advanced validation of the technology in a multi-lane closed course environment.
Torc Robotics used a Freightliner Cascadia for the extensive testing, which was conducted at a full operating speeds of up to 65 mph (105 km/h) to maximise fuel efficiency at its Texas facility.
Torc CEO Peter Vaughn Schmidt says the milestone is a key step in pursuing the company’s goal of becoming a world-leader in the autonomous driving space.
“This is a key moment in our mission to build a profitable, scalable business as the world’s leading autonomous solution,” Schmidt says.
“We observed impressive reliability in our repeated driverless runs, which leveraged Torc’s unparalleled embedded and integrated platform on Daimler Truck’s Freightliner Cascadia.”
Torc Chief Technology Officer CJ King says although AI is one of the biggest “buzzwords” of 2024, there are few integrations of the technology that have as solid real-world uses as the heavy vehicle industry.
“Artificial intelligence has undoubtedly been the biggest buzzword of the year, but the real-world uses are few and far between,” King says. “Autonomous trucking is one of the most concrete applications for AI that can drive demonstrated revenue, business value and industry transformation.
“With our long-standing tenure in the autonomous space, this milestone reinforces Torc’s safety-focused commitment to driving the future of freight.”
Torc Robotics operates offices in Austin, Stuttgart and Montreal.
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