The operator is set to debut Australia’s first fully automated on road truck trial in Melbourne on Friday
For the first time in Australia, an automated truck is set to be tested on public roads, courtesy of Transurban.
The operator will help take an important step towards a CAV-driven future, using the trial from this Friday onwards on Melbourne’s CityLink to better understand how roads and road technology can be future-proofed.
Following Transurban’s previous CAV trials with driver assistance on roads, this trial will include an automated truck driving itself. The trial will see how the sensors in the vehicles interpret immediate surroundings.
Transurban says testing the trucks on CityLink shows that the automated truck can provide real-time data about traffic and road conditions to guide it on its journey.
The trials are set to help Transurban capture valuable insights to help it, as well as governments and industry partners, to make informed decisions about future infrastructure and operations.
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“These trucks have the potential to transform the freight industry, helping to move more goods more often and better supporting the needs of both businesses and consumers,” Translink says.
“CityLink is one of the most technologically sophisticated roads in the world, with embedded technology including more than 600 CCTV cameras, automatic incident detection systems and smart sensors to monitor for traffic incidents such as debris and stopped vehicles.”
During the trial, real-time data from CityLink’s systems will be fed directly to the CAV truck, helping it better understand road and traffic conditions beyond its sensors.
The truck will only travel at night, when traffic is typically light. It’ll travel in a dedicated lane from Todd Road on the West Gate Freeway, through both the Burnley and Domain tunnels and onto the CityLink/ Monash Freeway, finishing at Warrigal Road, before turning around and returning along the same route.